


You're Mine

by PrinceofDarkness15



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Twins, breylo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:47:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 37,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29295417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceofDarkness15/pseuds/PrinceofDarkness15
Summary: Just FYI-this is not A Breylo fanfic!
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 22
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just FYI-this is not A Breylo fanfic!

"Obviously, you already know this wasn't me, mom." 

I tossed the newspaper I was holding on a nearby table as I met my mother's concerned gaze. _Dammit!_ I'd gotten to her country estate in Long Island as just as soon as I'd seen the tabloids in New York, but apparently, I hadn't been quick enough. My mother had _her own copy_ of the fresh-off-the-presses scandal sheet right next to her elbow, and I was more than willing to bet she had read the _entire article. Possibly more than once._ I got her silent answer when she raised a brow, and pinned me with that all-knowing, parental stare that I'd hated since childhood.

Leia-Organa Solo was pushing sixty-three years old, but she was still very beautiful. Her dark-brown hair had gone gray rather gracefully, and her dark-brown eyes were still just as sharp as they'd been years ago. 

_She knew all....saw all...._

And maybe I was an idiot to think that I could get to Long Island from New York before she found out what was all over the tabloids this afternoon. Mom tolerated the gossipy, posh, upper-class crowd much better than I did, so was it really all that surprising that she's already gotten the news before me? 

"You can't keep covering for him like this, Benjamin." Her voice was firm, but I could very easily recognize the underlying distress. 

I shrugged. "What do you want me to do? Kylo isn't in a good place right now." 

Truthfully, my younger-by-fifteen-minutes identical twin brother hadn't been in his right mind for the last two years. Not that I really blamed him for that, considering all that he'd been through. 

"It's been two years now, Ben. How long as you planning on taking the blame for Kylo's....misadventures?"

I shook my head as I began to pace back and forth across the large sitting room. I wouldn't exactly classify my twin brother's behavior as "misadventures." He wasn't some teenage party boy getting himself into trouble. Kylo was thirty years old, and well on a path to his own self-destruction. He didn't give a damn about anyone or anything. 

"I don't care what people think of _me,_ " I told her defensively. 

Okay, so maybe that wasn't a hundred-percent true. Kylo's last indiscretion to be caught on camera was him _bare-ass naked_ , surrounded by several women who were equally just as nude, and probably just as drunk as he when that picture had been taken. This time, I wasn't all that keen on letting people think I was ignorant enough to let _that_ get caught on camera. I was the _reserved_ Solo brother, and I liked it that way. 

I wanted my competitors and my allies to take me seriously in the business world. I had no idea how a reporter had actually gained entrance to Kylo's drunken orgy, but it wasn't surprising since my brother did very little to avoid bad press these days. I stopped and picked up the paper. 

_Could it really be as bad as I remember? I only got a quick glimpse of the picture in New York._ I grimaced as I looked at the image on the front page, and the cringe-worthy headline above it: SORRY, LADIES! ONE WOMAN WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH FOR BILLIONAIRE BEN SOLO!"

 _Shit!_ It _was_ just as bad as I remembered. I guess that I should be grateful that they'd blurred some of the explicit details on nude bodies. I hadn't seen my brother naked since we were children, and I could have very well done without seeing his bare-ass for the rest of my life. Disgusted, I tossed the paper aside again without scanning the text. The last thing I wanted was to read a play-by-play of my sibling's sex life. _No, thank you!_

"Well, you _should_ care." Mom's voice was calmer now. "Everyone assumes that it was you! That's _your_ name above that photo, Ben! Kylo won't correct them. And Lord knows, you won't either, out of your misguided desire to protect your brother. It's going to be difficult for anyone to take you seriously after this. Do you really want to be sitting in a business meeting, trying to make a deal, knowing that every executive in the room is going to be _dying_ to ask you for the details about that group orgy?"

 _Thank you for the reminder, Mom,_ I thought. I'd never really considered _that_ possible outcome, but no doubt I would certainly in the future. _Every single time I have a business meeting from now on._

While I really didn't care what people thought about me personally, I _did_ give a damn about Solo International, and all of our subsidiaries. At one time, _Kylo_ had cared about our company interests, too. 

I rubbed a frustrated hand over the tension in my neck, very well aware that the headache that was starting to plague me was going to get even worse. _Much worse._

"I'm heading to London later today," I said. "I'll talk to Kylo when I get there." As usual, my twin had fled across the pond to avoid any media attention after doing something incredibly stupid.

Leaving _me_ to take the blame, and do the cleanup. So far, I'd done a pretty damn good job of burying most of Kylo's erratic behavior. Like....the time he'd jumped up on a table in a popular nightclub with a microphone in hand, and tried to convince everyone that our current president was trying to make the United States a communist country. Or like....the time he'd gone to a poker game, and accused a well-respected championship poker player of cheating.

When Kylo got thoroughly pissed, there was no telling what would happen, or where his mind would go next. Luckily, most of my twin's drunken romps had never even hit the gossip columns. If there was one thing people liked more than a scandal, it was money, so I'd been able to pay to keep most of the incidents out of the press.

Really, there were only a few such incidents that I'd had to claim as mine. Luckily, the president and I rarely traveled in the same circles. 

Regrettably, my win had taken bad publicity to a whole different level this time, and for the first time since Kylo had started all of his lunatic behavior. I had no idea what to do about it. 

Mom frowned at me as she insisted, "You need to do more than _talk_ to him this time, Ben. You have to refuse to keep takin the blame for him and cleaning up after his mess." 

"I can't," I said. "You know I made a promise to Kylo, and I swore to him that I wouldn't break my word. I said that I'd give him time away from Solo, and everything involved with our corporation, including the press, so he could get his head together after what happened. I have no choice but to let people think his actions are mine, or to make sure they get completely buried."

The image of my twin pleading with me two years ago for time away from _everything_ still haunted me to this very day. Kylo had been completely broken, and I hadn't hesitated to give him my vow that he'd have the space and solitude that he so craved. 

I'd done everything possible to wipe Kylo's existence off the internet by hiring a highly skilled company who specialized in that type of thing. They'd even taken his name and photos off the corporation website so he could have his privacy. Anything that had come up in the last two years had been deleted as well. Granted, _I'd_ taken the blame for a couple of things, but those articles had disappeared like they'd never even happened. 

Honestly, it felt eerily similar to that old Sandra Bullock move, _The Net,_ when her whole identity had been erased, like she'd never even existed. Okay, maybe it wasn't _that_ bad. 

It was only his online finger-printed that had disappeared, and I still had a few business articles on there. I'd kept such a low profile that I'd never had much more than in the new in the first place.

"Ben," Mom said softly, "When you gave your brother your word, I know you never had any idea that he'd end up like this. He wasn't a drinker two years ago. You kept your promise, and he'd had enough isolation. Unfortunately, Kylo hadn't used the opportunity you've given him wisely. He'd avoided and escaped instead of using that quiet time to heal. This latest stunt isn't a good image for Solo International, and no decent human will _ever_ have you if you don't stop taking the blame for Kylo's behavior." 

~*****~

_Great! Here we go again...._

I raised a brow. "What makes you think there's a _decent one_ who would have me now, Mom?"

I probably shouldn't bait her, but I was desperate for a change of topic. I wasn't prepared to lay out my plan to fix his current situation. Probably because I didn't have one...yet.

She grimaced. "I'd really like to see my grandchildren before I die, Ben Solo."

I loved my mother. I really did. But she was tenacious when it came to trying to marry all of us off so she could be surrounded by grandchildren. Kylo certainly wasn't about to find himself a wife anytime soon.

And my younger brother, Phillip, was rarely in one place long enough to have a good chat with a woman, much less marry one. So naturally, all of my mother's matchmaking efforts had been put toward her eldest son..... _me._

"Don't hold your breath waiting for me to get married, Mom," I warned her. 

Yeah, I liked getting laid just as much as the next guy, but I kept those relationships uncomplicated by seeing women who liked their freedom just as much as I did. And lately, I haven't exactly even had time to pursue something with no strings attached. I'd been too damn buys running Solo International by myself. Phillip had never been interested in taking over my father's business interests. When my dad died, Phillip had taken his portion of his inheritance, and was now probably the richest wildlife biologist in the world. 

My mother released a long sigh. "I know that you're worried about your brother, Ben. I am, too, but that doesn't mean you can't call him out for leave you to pick up the pieces after every one of these incidents. He's gone way too far this time. You can't just write a check to make this particular article and photo disappear. They're already out there."

She was right. Kylo had done some very idiotic things over the last two years, but this was the first time he'd done something _naked, with a damn harem. 4_

"I don't think he even cares anymore. I'm not even sure he knows that the press blames me for the things that he _does_ know. Nor do I think it matters to him if he does know. He runs away to the UK every single time sometime like this happens."

My brother had never once asked me _how_ I'd keep his embarrassing conduct from catching up with him. He didn't have to. Kylo knew me, and he had my word that I wouldn't let anything touch him.

"Than you need to _make him_ see it, Ben. I know it's been a tough few years for Kylo, but it's hurting me to watch you work yourself to the ground running Solo International alone. You're doing your work and his, too. Not to mention the effort you've put into making sure that nobody knows that you even have a twin brother unless they knew about him before everything happened." 

I quickly shot my mom a questioning glance. "Have I ever complained?"

She shook her head. "No. You wouldn't. You never do. But I'm your mother. I can see how this situation is wearing on you. Do you think that I haven't noticed that you aren't eating well, or that you have headaches that you've never had before? How much do you sleep at night these days?"

"I sleep," I assured her.

"For a few hours at least, maybe," she scoffed. "You haven't looked truly rested and healthy for two years, Ben. You need to confront Kylo, and make him understand that you need to move on with your life, even if he hasn't. You can't just continue to run Solo International alone. He needs to come back home. Or you'll have to restructure things and start delegating to make your high-paid executives actually earn their salaries." 

_Okay, so maybe I did have a hard time delegating responsibility to anyone who didn't have Solo as a surname._ "Are you trying to say that I'm somewhat of a control freak, Mom?"

"Really? Something of a control freak, Ben? I swear, you'd rather die than give up some of your responsibilities, and that really worries me. I think you're just waiting for Kylo to come back and take back his obligations. In the meantime, the workload is killing you, and God knows how long it will take for Kylo to get his head together."

I was surprised by my mom's adamant tone. Over the last two years, she'd been extremely forgiving about Kylo's behavior, but apparently, her attitude...had changed. _Maybe_ she was right. _Maybe_ it was time to stop forgiving Kylo for every stupid little thing that he did. I was perfectly fine with her change of heart. I just hadn't figured out a way to do that myself _without_ feeling guilty as hell. Honestly, I understood why Kylo liked to spend so much time in London. The Solo family was rarely recognized there. Here in the States, the Solo name was legendary, and had been for generations, so we avoided _any_ publicity to keep our faces out of the media. 

In the UK, we had more freedom because there were far better stories to chase after than the behavior of a couple of American billionaires. Their A-list movie stars gave the British press plenty of scandal to write about. 

"He's still there, Ben." My mom's voice was soft and comforting. "Kylo _will_ get through this. He's stubborn as well, but _so_ are you. It's always taken him a long time to accept that he can't change." 

I was happy to hear her say that, glad _she_ was still optimistic, because there were moments that I wondered if any of the old Kylo still existed at all. He wasn't the man I knew, the _brother_ I knew, anymore. 

"I hope everything works out." 

Until Kylo got his shit together, I'd keep protecting him because that was just...what I did. Maybe I _was_ only the oldest by a matter of minutes, but I was the eldest, and since my father had died, it had been my job to take care of my family. Besides, my twin and I had been covering for each other since we were kids, and that instinct had never gone away.

At least, for me, it hadn't. He was still my brother---good or bad, we stuck together through thick and thin.

Mom let out an exasperated breath. "Talk to him when you get to London. If anyone can get through to him, it's you. You two were always so close. He might even up to you about what's bothering him."

Because I didn't want to crush her hopes that Kylo would eventually be okay, I simply answered, "You're probably right, Mom."

My mother sniffed. "I'm _always_ right. I'm _your_ mother and I know _my_ sons."

Maybe she knew us a little too well. Mom was rather scary that way. "I had better get moving. I have a flight to catch and a lot of thinking to do."

There was a twinkle in her dark eyes as she asked, "You're going commercial again?"

Actually, I hadn't flown commercial for over a year, but Mom liked to give me a hard time about the fact that I occasionally flew Transatlantic Airlines just to see how our our company was performing. 

"Well, how else would I know if we were having issues? Transatlantic is one of our more lucrative companies. I'd like to keep it that way. I'm not exactly going to suffer, Mom. I am booked in business class." 

Yes, I wanted to see how our customers felt when they were flying on my airline, but there was no possible way I was going to stuff my six-foot-three frame into a seat with almost no leg room for twelve long, painful hours. I was a concerned CEO, not a masochist. 

My mother got to her feet. "Please, be safe. Try to take some time off while you're there. I'll miss you."

I nodded sharply as I kissed her cheek, and pulled her into a hug. "I'll come see you as soon as I get back, and I'll call you. Don't worry about the article. I'll figure something out." 

I spent the majority of my time in my New York home, but I got to Long Island as often as possible to see my mother. Jokes and teasing aside, we were pretty close, and she'd never really gotten over my father's death, so she'd just taken Kylo's abandonment of the family pretty hard. Not that anyone would claim that Mom was _fragile_ , but she _had_ been through a lot in the last five years. 

She hugged me tightly before she stepped back. "Everybody will forget about Kylo's naked pictures the moment one of the celebrities in L.A do something interesting."

I chuckled, even though I wasn't really in a laughing mood. "Let's just hope the celebrities over in L.A in the mood to be well-behaved in the future."

It was rather pathetic to be hoping for a Hollywood scandal, but the American media was fickle. They'd drop the news about Kylo's faux pas in a matter of seconds if someone in Hollywood screwed up. 

Mom nodded. "Something else will happen that makes the front page tomorrow, and the media will be one step closer to forgetting about today's article." 

My mother had a strong backbone, and she always kept a stiff upper lip, but I knew that she was _truly_ worried this time. About me. About Kylo. About the reputation that generations of our family had tried so hard to keep squeaky clean and honorable over the years. The Solo family was well-respected, and Mom valued not being in a position to encourage the gossips. So much so that she'd twisted herself inside out when she was younger to fit into my father's world with as little censure as possible.

Deep down, I cared about my family honor, too. I knew that it was probably ingrained into my DNA. However, my first priority was the _current_ generation of Solos, and specifically, my brother, Kylo.

I really wanted to reassure Mom that I'd figured everything out, and that she'd get her wayward son back soon, without further scandal. Problem was, it was really hard to convince _her_ of something when I wasn't really sure what would happen _myself._


	2. Chapter 2

Maybe there's a time in everyone's life when they wonder about the wisdom of their career choices. Unfortunately, I was currently having _that_ moment on foreign soil, in the middle of the La-Guardia airport, while I waited in line to board my flight so that I could get my ass back to London where I belonged. My business in New York was done, and I was leaving with the knowledge that I'd managed to completely bomb my attempt to acquire my first, very large international client here in the United States. 

I probably should have let Kaydel do this pitch. But my second-in-command had some important meetings scheduled with our US customers, so I'd actually volunteered myself for this disaster. 

I sighed as the line to board my flight crept forward at such a slow pace that I swore I was _never_ going to get to my seat. Behind me, I could her a frustrated infant wailing. _I'm right there with you, little tyke. I want to get the hell out of New York, too._

Okay, maybe it wasn't exactly the end of the world if Kenobi Crisis Management didn't acquire clients in the U.S. right now, but I'd really hoped we could expand. 

Wait! _Correction:_ It had always been _my mum's_ goal to go worldwide. Unfortunately, it _wasn't_ my mother, and KCM wasn't exactly flourishing and growing underneath my control. I managed to smile weakly at the flight attendant as I finally boarded, trying to blow off my crappy mood, and not replay my U.S. business failure over and over in my head. _Dammit!_ I'd been prepared. I'd been ready.

I'd been completely certain of exactly what I was going to say to persuade Solo International that they seriously _needed_ a skilled crisis management team at their disposal. Maybe it was a tough sell. Solo International had an entire department full of general public relations staff, but it wasn't _impossible._

KCM was different, highly qualified to deal with emergency situations. _Which was exactly why I blew it._ I'd had the chance to prove to Solo, in real time, exactly what we could do, but I hadn't. 

I'd maintained my confidence well....until the CEO of Solo had decided that _last night_ had been an ideal time to make the tabloids exploded with a naked picture of himself, and a bevy of nude females. I hadn't had time to actually see the article or picture. The story had broken approximately _three minutes_ before my presentation. I'd had to face an entire conference room of suits, every one of them looking at me expectantly, like I should be able to come up with a solution for their mega-disaster on the spot. 

I couldn't. I hadn't been prepared for _that._ Yeah, I knew the basics about the Solo family, but since there had never been so much of a whisper of a scandal about any of them, I'd focused more on the company and its very long history of acquiring failing companies and making them lucrative again. 

The opportunity to pitch to Solo International had come up without much notice, so I'd focused on what I could do for the company as I'd prepared a hurried, but what I thought was a thorough presentation. 

Nowhere in my research had I come across the information that one of the Solos was still young enough to have sex. Apparently, the eldest male was still young enough if he'd been in bed with several naked women. _I really should have switched gears, and gone to the rescue to solve their problem. I'm a crisis manager. That's what I do, for God's sake._

I'd had _nothing_ for them. Not a single suggestion. Not a word to say about handling something I wasn't even prepared to conquer. I'd been more focused on possible chemical spills, environmental hazards, sudden stock instability, etc. How the hell could I have known that one of the family members would suddenly do something to draw attention of the entire country?

Sure, I knew there _was_ a Solo family behind the behemoth corporation, but I'd seen very little press about _any of them_ , while I was doing my research. The possibility of something like that happening hadn't even been on my radar. Solo International had a sterling reputation, and had maintained that stature for generations. Stop stressing, Rey. You can't change something that's already happened.

I rolled my shoulders, trying to release the tension built up there. Usually, I was the kind of woman who could blow off a failure and move forward, but this one was sticking with me. The humiliation was still too fresh on my mind. _Thank God. This stupid line is finally understanding._

Some passengers with seats in the front had stored their bags, and moved out of the aisle. As I looked for my own seat, I told myself that I needed to stop tormenting my psyche with all of the things _I could have_ said or done. It was over, and the opportunity to prove how flexible KCM could be to one of the largest, most powerful companies in the world had already flown right out of my grasp. _It's too damn late to worry about it...now._ I'd frozen, stumbling through my prepared presentation instead of finding a way to address Solo's immediate needs.

I wasn't exactly spontaneous. Never had been. I planned, I executed _that plan_ to the letter, and then I conquered. Throwing a very large wrench into my well-prepared pitch had entirely crippled me. 

I liked everything neat and tidy, and my lack of flexibility had jumped up and bit me in the ass. Sure, _they'd said_ they'd be in touch, but the message of don't-call-us-we'll-you had come across loud and clear at the end of my presentation.

I'd never hear from Solo International, and honestly, if I couldn't sell our services to a company who needed a crisis manager as much as they did at that moment, who was I going to be able to convince in the future? 

_Mom could shift gears on the spot, and use new information to her advantage._ Problem was, I wasn't my mother, and probably never would be a sharp as she'd been in this business. 

Me? I was a spontaneity failure, and I was just going to have to live with the fact that I'd bombed a critical presentation she could have very easily have skated through. Relief flooded my uptight body as I flopped into my seat by the window, and glanced at the empty space beside me, hoping it would remain unoccupied. There was a large armrest between me and the recliner next door, but things felt a little awkward when I was traveling alone---which was pretty often.

I never knew whether to talk to the person next to me, or just pretend that they weren't there. I hadn't really flown enough yet to know the etiquette of frequent business fliers. 

My phone pinged just as I was awkwardly shoving my carry-on into the small cubby provided. I scrambled for my purse and rummaged through the contents until I finally found my phone. I looked down at the text.

_Kaydel: So? How did it go?_

_Rey: Don't ask. I don't have Mom's charm. I doubt Solo will even be calling anytime soon. I should have taken the domestic clients and let you do this trip. We'd probably have our largest client yet if you'd done the presentation yourself._

_Kaydel: It can't be that bad. Did you meet the president of Solo? I've never seen him, but I've head that he's pretty hot._

Hot? The CEO of Solo International was hot? Obviously, Kaydel knew far more about the family than I did. When I thought about billionaire CEO who ran mammoth companies, it brought to mind gray-haired grandfathers who were older than dirt. Apparently, this particular CEO was younger than I'd thought. Either that, or my best friend had suddenly got a fetish for men old enough to be her grandparent. 

_Rey: I wouldn't know. He wasn't even there. I imagine he was probably still sleeping after causing a scandal that I didn't know about until three minutes before the meeting. Long story. I'll explain it to you later._

I fear tears well up in my eyes, but I blinked them back. Part of me felt like I'd not only failed my company, but my deceased mother, too.

_Kaydel: I'm sure everything went fine. You worry way too much. Give yourself a break. You were used to everything being neat and tidy in corporate law. PR is really messy. I hope you at least managed to find a gorgeous American and have a small fling. That sexy accent in the bedroom would be enough to make any woman have her first screaming orgasm._

I rolled my eyes. Kaydel Co-Connix wasn't only the amazing director at Kenobi Crisis Management; she'd been my best friend since grade school. She, and our friend, Rose, the only ones who knew that I'd never had the elusive big O with any of the men that I'd dated.

The supposed monumental event that my misguided friend _just knew_ was going to change my life and the way I looked at myself. Kaydel was beyond eager to find my Mr. Orgasm. I, however, didn't even think about it too much anymore. 

_Rey: Sorry, no fling. No orgasm._

Personally, I was convinced that the female orgasm during sex was probably highly overrated anyway. I'd had two sexual relationships. A woman didn't get to the age of twenty-nine without sleeping with a guy. Okay. Yeah. The sex was _pleasant_ with the right person, but I was convinced the screaming pleasure women talked about was like a unicorn: I wanted to believe to existed, but the proof was pretty damn elusive. 

"You've never had an orgasm. Seriously? How is that even possible?"

I froze as a deep, definitely American male voice sounded right beside me. Startled, I jerked my haze from my phone to the previously empty space next to me, only to meet a pair of sexy chocolate-brown eyes that were staring at me in total disbelief. _When in the hell did this American Adonis sit down next to me?_

Obviously, the seat next to me wasn't going to stay vacant. In fact, there was one very muscular, very attractive body filling up the space that had been vacant just a few minutes ago. 

All of my senses sprang to attention as Inhaled, and caught a whiff of the most alluring, masculine scent my olfactory receptors had ever experienced. I fought to the urge to just close my eyes and wallow in the fragrance that screamed hot, unbridled, deliciously dirty sex. I had no idea how I recognized that since I'd never personally indulged in _that_ kind of sexual encounter. _Ever._

I squirmed in my seat. The guy was close. _Too close._ In fact, he was leaning sideways in my direction so that he could....

I immediately flipped my phone over so he couldn't see it, and then leaned back to avoid whatever sexy pheromones this man seemed to exude in abundance. "You're reading my texts? Who the hell does that?"

I swallowed hard as I put a hand on his shoulder to push him over, so he wasn't encroaching on my personal space. He moved like he suddenly realized that he was being incredibly rude. I flipped my cell phone over again, and my fingers fired off a brief message to Kaydel.

Rey: I got to go. Taking off. Catch you at home.

I quickly got out of the text window, put my phone in airplane mode, and shoved it back into my purse without looking at the jerk sitting next to me. _Like this entire day hasn't been crappy enough? Of course the guy sitting next to me is a creeper! It's the perfect end to a really bad day. Perfect. Just. Freaking. Perfect._

He straightened up in his seat completely as he finally spoke. "You looked upset, like you were going to cry, so I read your message to find out why you looked so unhappy. I found your texts...fascinating." 

I turned my eyes to him again, and took a long, hard look at my offender, now that he was back in his own space. I was angry, but I wasn't blind. The man was gorgeous, and judging by the way his peridot-brown eyes were looking back at me, I could tell that he was almost slightly...amused. I had to admit that he _was_ the most attractive creeper I'd ever seen. I gawked back at him because I could. _He_ was staring at _me,_ so I proceeded to evaluate him thoroughly, without a single ounce of remorse to blatantly checking him out. 

He was probably in his early to mid-thirties. The way he wore his dark-gray custom suit made him see....sophisticated. He appeared to be confident to the point of arrogance. 

Everything about him was immaculate, from his dark, thick hair to the way his subtle cologne made me want to lean even closer so I could inhale the scent until I was practically drunk on it. Everything about this man screamed hard control and self-discipline. So why the hell had he leaned over to read my text messages? His appearance and his behavior just weren't jiving. 

The only thing that made this man softer was the teasing look in his eyes right now, and that irritatingly pleasant baritone voice. 

_No doubt that sexy, low baritone with that appealing sleek all-American boy accent could make most women drop their panties._ But I wasn't most women. I was Rey never-had-a-fling-or-dropped-my-pantoes-easily-in-my-entire-life Kenobi. I wasn't a victim to my sexual desire. At least I never _had been...._

I turned my gaze toward the window, determined to ignore the way my body felt completely primed and ready to crawl up this man's body and demand he satisfy what he'd clearly created. 

_Dammit!_ I _hated_ the way he made me feel, and I had to wonder if he was secretly laughing at me. 

Honestly, I hoped he didn't say another word for the entire flight. Kaydel was right. There was something about his low baritone and his sex American accent that made me want to forget he was invading my privacy. Part of me actually _wanted_ him to keep encroaching on my personal space so I could absorb his tantalizing scent again. Suddenly, my brain overrode my hormone-stimulated body. What in the hell?

_I seriously have to get a grip. Attractive or not, he's way too pushy, and he crossed the line from inquisitive to disturbing by ready my text messages._

I finally found my voice because I couldn't let him off scot-free with my silence. "I don't know who you think you are, but I was having a private conversation. Invading my space to read my messages was just...weird and intrusive." 

He shrugged a set of very broad shoulders. "Not very private if you're having that discussion on a jet with several hundred other passengers, beautiful."

I opened my mouth to give the jerk a lecture, and then closed it again. _Beautiful? He called me beautiful?_ I wasn't used to hearing that, and he'd stunned me into silence. Was he actually hitting on me? _No! Of course he isn't! He's using me for a sport. He's getting some kind of twisted amusement out of this whole situation._

~*****~

I'd never been a woman who would make any guy look at me twice. Hell, they didn't even linger the first time. I was a brunette, but more often than not, I tamed the curly locks into submission by wearing them in a contained style away from my face. Other than my dark hair, I had very few memorable physical assets. 

I'd gained my freshman fifteen even before I'd started college, and than weight had turned into a sophomore twenty. My five-foot-eight height scared most men away. In hells, I was taller than most any guy in a room. _Okay, okay._ Even in flats, I matched or towered above a room full of people. I felt big, awkward, and I had to remind myself not to slouch so I felt more comfortable. I was wearing flats today, and I hadn't even bothered with much makeup since I'd been getting ready to board a twelve-hour flight.

I'd braided my crazy hair, thrown on a pair of jeans with casual blouse, and headed toward the airport, feeling utterly gutted. I was as far from beautiful as a woman could get. Especially today.

I wasn't exactly down on myself. I was intelligent. I knew that much. I'd gotten a ton of scholarships to help get me through college, and then law-school at Cambridge. 

However, I'd gotten totally screwed in the gene pool lottery, but was there really any harm in being realistic? I was frightfully tall, big-boned, and bordering between curvy and plump. In all honesty, it wasn't exactly a shocker that no guy had ever been complementary about my physical appearance. I was really annoyed that the quintessential Mr. Orgasm sitting next to me was using me to play some sick, twisted game. 

"Don't call me _beautiful._ Don't try to distract me from the point I was trying to make. It _was_ rude and very creepy that you were reading my text messages." I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as I spoke. 

For some unknown reason, I was looking at his startling brown-eyed stared again, like his perfect features were a magnet that drew my eyes to him. Angry with myself for drooling over a man whose only intention was to needle me, I sharply turned my head to look out the window again. 

_It doesn't matter if he's the most attractive man I've ever seen in my life. Ted Bundy had been attractive and charming at times, and look how that turned out for almost every woman who crossed his path. This guy is obviously a psycho wrapped up in a very desirable package, which makes him all the more dangerous._

He cleared his throat. "I'm not trying to...distract you. I'm just trying to figure out why a woman like you has never had an orgasm before." 

I huffed. "That too would be none of your business."

_He's definitely a creeper if he's digging for information about my nonexistent sex life._

"Maybe I _want_ to make it my business. Maybe I _want_ to understand," he answered in a deceptively casual tone. "And I'd love to know what happened with Solo International."

I kept my head turned toward the window as I snapped, "Do you always get what you want?"

"Yes. Almost always," he answered.

I ignored his arrogance as I realized that he'd asked me about _Solo International. Holy shit!_ Had he been reading my texts for _that long?_ The knowledge that he'd been surveying my conversation with Kaydel since the very beginning made me absolutely livid.

"Solo International would also be none of your business," I said in a snippy tone that I hoped would shut him up for good. 

God, he really _had_ to stop talking. I didn't want to hear another word spoken in that annoyingly hot accent of is. _Not that it's really getting to me or anything. Because really, how could there be anything sexy about a man who wants to play me like I'm an idiot?_ The bastard could just use the in-flight entertainment system if he wanted some kind of distraction to pass the time on this ridiculously long flight.

Gorgeous or not, this man was trouble, and I needed to just stop holding a conversation with him. _Period._ I felt his body shift, and I peeked sideways as he stood up to take off his suit jacket to hand it to the flight attendant to hand up in the closet. _Sweet Jesus!_

I hated myself for feeling breathless because he was so incredibly tall, bulky, and built like a Greek god. Broad shoulders tapered down to a very fit waist. I was almost certain that he had some mouthwatering six-pack abs underneath the expensive linen of his stark-white dress shirt. _Put your tongue back in your mouth, Rey! He might be physically stunning, but he's also a crazy man, and not in a good way either._

I forced my eyes away from the Adonis, disgusted with myself as my hands fumbled with my seat belt to get it fastened. The huge jet had started moving, but I'd been too caught up in lust to even notice that immediately. 

I kept my eyes glued to the window as we prepared to lift off. Once the plane was in the air, I could pull out my laptop and get to get some work done. It would be as if the smoldering-hot man besides me didn't even exist. Once I was buried in my work, I could block out _everything._

I felt his movements as he took his seat again. I heard him fasten his seat belt as he said, "We do have twelve hours for me to get the information out of you."

His high-handed tone set my teeth on edge, and it pissed me of that he hadn't just kept that gorgeous mouth of his closed. "I don't like to talk when I'm traveling. I have a lot of work to do."

He let out a long, masculine sigh. "As a matter of fact, I have a rather large amount of work to accomplish myself. But I'm afraid that my laptop isn't as intriguing as you are right now. Care to satisfy my curiosity so I can concentrate on my own work?"

"No," I answered sharply. I decided to keep things as simple as possible. "Look, I'm tired. My business in New York was a failure, and I'd prefer a _silent_ plane ride back home to contemplate my utter humiliation, if you don't mind." 

I had no idea why I'd decided to tell him that my New York adventure had been a gigantic fail. Maybe I was hoping it would make him mind his own damn business.

"You know you want to talk about it," he said persuasively---in that damnably sexy American accent. "I'm a total stranger, right? You'll never see me again after today. Why not vent to somebody you _don't_ even know, and will never see again?"

 _Ugh!_ Didn't this guy have some sort of **_OFF_ **switch attached to those sensual lips of his? I swear, he was growing more and more annoying by the minute? What is it going to take to get a little peace and quiet on this damn plane? 

"Has it ever occurred to you at all that maybe I just don't like you? You were reading my text messages, for God's sake. It's nearly impossible to like or confide in a disturbed individual who does something like _that."_

I had hoped that, that comment would offend him just a little, that he'd.. _.Just. Stop. Talking._ Oddly, I seemed to have _absolutely no filter_ when it came to my frustrating seatmate. Usually, I could ignore what was going on around me, especially when I was working, but I couldn't seem to keep my own mouth shut at the moment. When I heard a low rumble of laughter next to me, it was pretty annoying to admit to myself that my tactic to silence him had been completely successful.

Hasn't he just said he almost always got what he wanted? The obnoxious man obviously wasn't going to give me the peace I now craved until he was completely satisfied himself. 

I sighed. He was right about one thing, however. Underneath my anger, I really _did_ want to vent about what happened at Solo International because I wanted to make sense out of why a perfectly intelligent woman had managed to screw up a presentation that meant so much. 

I just didn't want to do it with a guy who got a kick out of using me as a source of entertainment. Maybe, if he was a decent guy, I _would have_ pilled my guts to Mr. Orgasm. The fact that I'd never see him again made the prospect pretty damn tempting to do.

If only he wasn't the most annoying guy that I'd ever had the misfortune to meet. 


	3. Chapter 3

If this woman had done some kind of business with Solo International, I'm a bit surprised that she didn't recognize me. Even stranger, I'd never seen _her_ before, and I _never_ forgot a face. Granted, I wouldn't recognize every one of my employees since Solo International had hundreds of thousands of them around the world. However, she'd obviously just come from my headquarters in New York, and I _was_ familiar with the upper-level executive who had an office there.

I made it a point to know their business because it was ultimately mine, too, and I'd never seen this gorgeous brunette British woman strolling around the executive floors to meet with any of them. I would definitely would have remembered _her._

So here I was, in a position that should have been awkward, but really it wasn't. Not for me anyway. It was just...different. The woman had no ide who I was, nor did she seem to care about getting to know me either. To her, I was just some totally random, unpleasant guy who was sitting next to her on an airplane for twelve hours. Not that I blamed her for having _that_ initial impression of me.

Reading her text messages had been way out of line, and obnoxiously intrusive , but she was so damn intriguing that it had been impossible to resist finding out why she'd looked so defeated when I'd taken the seat next to hers. My actions had been so out of character for me that I was still trying to figure out _why_ I'd invaded her privacy. I'd never felt like I had to solve all the world's problems like my brother, Phillip.

Normally, I never had _any_ sort of desire to carry on a conversation with a stranger when I was traveling. Like her, I preferred to keep to myself on the rare occasions I flew commercial. 

I should be satisfied that no one had recognized me, and eager to pull my laptop so I could get to work. I could knock out a significant number of things that had piled up on a long flight like this one. I was nothing if not disciplined, to keep my focus on Solo International at all times. 

I'd _never_ been distracted from my single-minded purpose....until I'd taken my seat next to the most intriguing female I'd ever met. This time, for some unknown reason, all I wanted to do was watch _her._

Damned if I knew where that _beautiful_ comment she'd disliked so much had come from, or why I'd even said it. I wasn't exactly a slick operator. Kylo had always been the charming one. And me? I'd always been the quiet one, keep-to-myself Solo who followed a meticulous schedule that left little or no time for anything else but my obsession to make Solo International stand out from any of my competition. My twin had been the one who could lavish people with outrageous flattery without making it sound insincere or cheesy. 

Honestly, I'd hadn't meant to _flatter_ the female next to me, exactly. She was, in fact, very beautiful, and it was incredibly provocative that she didn't seem to know it. 

I was a big man who appreciated a statuesque, curvy female like her, so I'd noticed her from the first moment I'd sat down in the seat next to her. Generally, I could blow off a mild attraction and get back to whatever business was at hand. I didn't have time to flirt. I'd never even had the inclination to do so.

Normally, I didn't even _notice_ who occupied the seat next to me on one of my rare commercial flights. But things weren't exactly normal this time around. Not with _her_ sitting next to me. 

I didn't push anyone for any kind of conversation because I wasn't exactly a talker myself. I used my available time wisely, which meant I focused on Solo International. Something about this particular female completely fascinated me. I felt like she'd curled those elegant fingers around my balls the second I'd found my seat, and now she refused to let go.

I wanted to know more about her. And hell yes, I wanted to know what kind of idiots she'd dated who had been unable to satisfy her. _No orgasm? Ever? Not even once?_

My cock had immediately stood up for the challenge. Literally. It didn't seem to matter that she'd just professed _not_ to like me. In fact, her attempt to dissuade me had completely backfired. It only made me want her more.

There were very few people in the world who could actually call out Benjamin Solo for _anything_ , and I was discovering that I actually....liked it. 

I wanted to know how she was connected to Solo International. It was my company, after all. Granted, her sex life was probably none of my business, but I wasn't going to be satisfied until I knew why she'd dated so many assholes. I cleared my throat. Since I'd never had to ask twice for much of anything, I wasn't exactly sure how to be more persuasive. 

"You'll like me more once you start talking to me. Tell me about Solo. What business did you have with them? But before you start, tell me your name?"

My dick twitched as she folded her arms across a pair of very ample breasts. I wasn't sure she'd answer. Her internal war between the need to talk and her desire to stay silent was evident in her expression. 

I _wanted_ to win this battle. I always did. I waited. And waited...and just for some recreation, I waited some more. Then....

"Rey." She sounded exasperated. "My name is Rey."

I released the air in my lungs. Maybe she hadn't shared her last name, but I was relieved that she'd finally said _something,_ because I was certain she till thought I was a complete jerk for reading her texts.

"Ben." I hadn't even thought about the wisdom of using my real name, which was a little concerning since I made it point to never do anything impulsively. 

Luckily, I didn't see any obvious signs that my name meant anything to her.

"I'm not sure that I really want to talk about the Solo disaster," she said. "And talking about my failures with a man that I don't even know, and who seems to love making fun of me, would be a pretty bad choice of people to discuss my disappointment with, don't you think?"

I frowned. "I never made fun of you, Rey. If you were under any impression that I was insincere, you're wrong." What kind of asshole would do something like _that_ to her? "If I didn't honestly want to listen, I wouldn't have asked."

Her voice had been reluctant, but I could tell she really did want to talk to someone, and I really wanted to be that confidant right now. Especially if the story had _anything_ to do with Solo International.

"Like I said before, I'm a complete stranger. So shoot. I'm not about to judge you."

I could feel the jet taking off, but I ignored it. I was too eager to hear what Rey had to say, and being in an aircraft was like a second home to me. She then let out a sigh of submission, and I wanted a celebrate because I knew that sound meant that she _was_ going to talk, whether it seemed like a wife decision to her or not. I calculated that my best course of action was to stay silent until she spoke, which she eventually did. 

"My mum passed away from cancer a year ago. Her company....my company now....was her baby. She built Kenobi Crisis Management from the ground up, and she was really, really good at it. I came to New York to pitch our services to Solo International. I had no idea that the owner is some kind of man-whore, and that I'd only find out a couple of minutes before my presentation. Because I wasn't prepared for some real-time scandal to happen, I completely blew it. I froze instead of changing things up to address the imminent problem that they were facing."

I didn't speak. I waited for her to g on. I sensed that she needed to keep venting, and I was a very willing audience.

"I totally bombed my presentation in front of the Solo executives. I just...choked. I'm usually a planner for things like this. I'm not good at jus...winging things. I was all over the bloody place, and I never really got to tell them what we could do for them in their current situation." 

She looked so forlorn that it made my damn chest ache. I could relate to what happened to her. I wasn't exactly Mr. Spontaneous. I was a meticulous planner, too. "Something came up suddenly that you weren't prepared to handle at that meeting, Rey. It's not your fault."

She hook her head. "I doubt it's _ever_ going to come naturally to _me._ I went to school to become a corporate attorney, and I was a damn good one, too. Sure, I had to talk to executives, but it was normally a few at a time. And I knew what I was doing. Trying to step into my mother's shoes is just so...difficult." 

God, I could definitely relate to _that._ "Believe it or not, I get that, too. I stepped into my father's shoes five years ago when he died unexpectedly from a heart attack. They were big shoes to fill, and I didn't feel like I was ready. It's going to take some time for you to feel comfortable. Why did you leave corporate law if you loved it so much?"

Rey was obviously intelligent and highly educated. She'd just stepped into a world she knew nothing about after her mother's death. I had to respect the balls it took to take that leap of faith. Kylo and I had, had the benefit of being groomed to step into my father's shoes open day. I had to admire this woman's strength and determination. She'd dropped everything in a world where she was comfortable to enter an entirely different universe. 

My question would be... _was she happy where she was right now?_ She started to speak again before I could even ask.

"I suppose I just didn't want to let go of KCM because it was so successful, and I was there to see her fight for that success. I wanted to keep it going because she....couldn't. I couldn't sell something that was that important to her." 

Rey had wanted to keep some part of her mother alive, even after her parent was already gone. I understood that. "Did she ask you to do it?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. She knew I was happy as a corporate attorney. My mother wasn't like that. All she ever wanted was for me to be happy. She expected me to sell, but I couldn't do it. So I moved from London to Surrey permanently after she died to see if could make a go at KCM." 

I really fucking hated the crushed look on her face. I wanted to say the right words to make it go away, but I wasn't Kylo. The right words weren't always there for me, and I wasn't really good at blowing sunshine up anyone's ass, but in Rey's case, I wanted to try. 

"It's just one botched presentation. You'll get another chance. I'm sure of it."

What I definitely couldn't tell Rey was that I should have been at her presentation. The meeting had been on my schedule. I'd had to bail out of that commitment because I'd wanted to drive to Long Island to see Mom after I'd seen the tabloids with Kylo's bare-naked ass exposed to the entire country. 

Rey's voice sounded desperate as she told me. "You don't understand, Ben. It wasn't about getting _another deal_. It was about accomplishing something my mum always wanted. I got the opportunity that she didn't, and I fucked it up."

 _Ahh.._.so it wasn't about the money at all. It wasn't financial; it was personal. I hated the fact that I hadn't been at the meeting, and she'd left Solo International headquarters feeling like she'd failed. For some strange reason, I wanted to reach out my hand and turn her face to me so I could see her expression, but I didn't. Number one...I wasn't sure that seeing an injured look in her gorgeous hazel eyes wouldn't be akin to a swift kick in the gut for me. 

And number two...I didn't want to invade her space again. Okay, maybe I _did_ want to invade her space, but I didn't want her to feel comfortable. I'd probably already done enough to make her wary, and the last thing I wanted to do was shut her down for the rest of the flight. I wanted to keep her talking to me, which meant I needed to stop doing impulsive shit that was so contrary to my normal personality. Hell, just wanting somebody to talk to me was highly abnormal.

 _What in the fuck can I do to make her understand that what happened at Solo isn't the end of the world?_ Maybe she just needed some kind of...do-over. 

"Then tell me right now, Rey. Tell me what you could have done for Solo. What would you say if you got the chance to do that meeting all over again?"

She didn't hesitate to answer. "I'd tell them what the CEO is doing will probably catch up with them if they don't try to fix this right now, and put a kibosh on anything else similar happening in the future. I'd say that they'll eventually see a decrease in their business if it continued because people don't always buy with their wallets. Sometimes, they buy with their instincts and their heart. At some point, if the owner of the corporation doesn't stop the bullshit, Solo is going to become a company with an 'ick factor.' Some people will be turned off, and buy the product right next to _their product,_ one that _doesn't_ sport the Solo name."

I had no desire to defend my brother, but I did feel the need to champion Solo International. "What if they don't see a decrease in sale trends? It's the twenty-first century, for God's sake. Not everyone is a prude."

Rey turned toward me and lifted a knowing brow. "They haven't seen the social media backlash yet. Maybe it will be brief and die out quickly, but there is going to be plenty of criticism. I'm sure you know that people have called to boycott companies on social media for less. The guy isn't just a womanizer, or a serial dater of lots of women. Nobody really cares much about that. But showing up naked on the front page of a well-read newspaper with a bunch of nude women _can_ smack of general disrespect and disdain for the female gender. People will assume he bought those women, and that he was able to use them because they needed to support themselves, and he has endless funds."

I gritted my teeth, knowing there wasn't a damn thing I could say in my brother's defense. More than likely, he _had_ rewarded those women handsomely, even though they'd been with him willingly.

She was right, of course. A lot could be made of a salacious picture and a sensational, lewd story. "Then tell me exactly what _you'd_ do to prevent all that from happening," I requested grimly. 

She snorted. "I'd kidnap the CEO and ship him to someplace in Siberia for a decade or two so nothing else happens." 

Agreed! I would have been happy to buy Kylo a one-way ticket, but knowing my brother, he'd find a way to get back to England. She hesitated before she continued. "Honestly, I'd try to get in front of the whole thing. Find the man-whore a girlfriend who doesn't have any skeletons in her closet, and book some positive publicity to the public know that it was a one-time drunken incident. When I was researching, I did see something about Mr. Solo being single. I guess, I just assumed that he was a widow. But if the old guy is healthy enough to get it up for an orgy he can certainly get himself a nice girlfriend. He'd have to take responsibility for doing some skanky things, and then show the public that he's changed his ways."

~*****~

I raised my eyebrows. Was she under the impression that I was an...old man or something?

"How old do you think he is?"

I couldn't help myself. I had to ask. Obviously, she'd never managed to dig up a picture or she wouldn't be taking to me right now. It hadn't been cheap to get experts to remove all that info from the net, but it had been worth it. Perhaps if she'd dug a little deeper into the family, she might have found a photo of me, but there wasn't a whole lot there to find anyways.

Rey shrugged. "I don't know. I've never seen pictures or articles about him. Initially, my presentation had nothing to do with family. It was about improving Solo's image overall as a company, and handling anything that came up in the future that might make them seem negligent to to the general population. I didn't know ant of the _family_ was even prone to bad publicity until I heard about this recent orgy thing. Doing damage control on a sleezy billionaire wasn't even on my radar." 

"He's actually not _that_ old." I hated the defensiveness I heard on my voice. "I've seen his pictures. Early thirties, maybe."

I had to keep my comments vague. I was treading into dangerous territory. But I was _American_ , so it had to make sense to her that I knew more about American billionaires than she did. 

"That young, huh?" She sounded completely taken off-guard. "Then they really need a fixer. They definitely can't blow off the incident at some kind of dementia. Look, the guy is single, and I really don't care what he does, but some people _will_ care. Overall, Solo has always had a great reputation. I just wanted to be the PR company that was able to keep it that way. I wasn't ready for the big sex scandal."

"It was a stupid thing to do," I grumbled, knowing I had to abandon the discussion about my family before I got myself into trouble.

She nodded her head slowly. "It was, but I've learned not to judge. I don't know the circumstances surrounding the situation. It could have been some kind of trap, and the guy does have a right to his kinks. But maybe he should have checked the lock on the door. When you're at the helm of one of the most powerful companies in the world, private things need to stay just that...private."

Of course, what she just said made me wonder if the woman had her own kinks, and what exactly _those_ might be. I'm a red-blooded male who hasn't gotten any sex for a while, so don't judge me about my sexual curiosity. I then decided it was probably best _not_ to ask her about her sexual fantasies at the moment.

"There was no way you could have known what would happen while you were there. And I highly doubt that you really bombed that presentation. I'd say that you were presenting the wrong thing at the wrong time--through no real fault of your own."

I knew _that much_ was true. The entire corporate office had been bombarded by the media even before I'd left to get to Long Island. My employees had been trying to put our fires, and Rey had been unprepared to be a firefighter. 

"That's possible, I suppose." Her tone didn't sound like she was quite convinced.

"Feel better now?" I asked.

She put her feet up in the recliner and leaned her head back. "Not really. But thanks for trying, anyways."

I ignored her denial. She _sounded_ better, and that worked for me. "Should we talk about your other little problem now?"

She closed her eyes. "What problem?"

"Is it really true that you've never had a orgasm before?"

Her eyes popped back open. "I think I need a drink to handle _that_ conversation." 

Okay, now we were finally getting somewhere. I'll drag this out of her yet, and maybe, with a bit of luck, _I'll_ be the _one_ to show her exactly what she's missing. I slowly grinned as I pushed the call button to get us some cocktails. 


	4. Chapter 4

It took four rounds of alcohol and a belly full of airplane food before I'd even entertained the idea of answering Ben's questions about my sex life. However, by the time I _emptied_ cocktail glass number four, I had absolutely no inhibitions about telling him anything.

I handed my empty glass to the flight attendant and leaned back in my comfortable seat, thinking about everything Ben had shared with me over the last few hours. Unlike most gorgeous men, Ben didn't seem to _want_ to talk about himself. _At all._ I felt like he'd pried every detail of my life from me, but never said a whole lot about himself. His answers to _my_ questions about _him_ were brief, and he hadn't volunteered anything more than what I'd asked. 

If he thought he could just give me a _yes-_ or- _no_ answer, but that's exactly what I'd gotten, but one-word answers hadn't worked every single time.

I did find out that he'd grown up in Manhattan, and had taken over an already successful family business after his dad's death five years ago. His mother was originally from Florida since she'd married Ben's father decades ago, who'd been an a well-known and well-liked businessman from New York. She still live in their family home in Long Island. He'd attended Yale for college.

He was well traveled, a fact I'd picked up myself after I'd asked him where he'd been in the world. His answer to that particular inquiry was probably the longest answer that I'd gotten. He definitely gotten around. 

I'd gotten little tidbits of his life during our conversation, but I _still_ didn't feel like I knew that much about _him._ _Me?_ Well, I'd pretty much spilled my guts right after my second cocktail.

If he asked a question, I'd answer it with a lot more information than I really needed to tell a virtual stranger. T _hat's what you get for having more than just one drink._ I got pretty damn chatty after a couple of cocktails.

After four of them? I was pretty much in an ask-me-anything-and-I'll-tell-you mood. _Anything at all._

"Would you like another one?" the smiling brunette who had taken my cocktail glass queried politely. 

I shook my head, smiling back at her before she retreated. If I didn't stop, Ben would probably know my while life story from birth to present. I'd noticed that he had downed a single beer before he'd switched over to some kind of coffee. I'd probably _never_ understand the obsession that American people had with their coffee.

I turned my head to look at him, and he raised his brows as he lowered his coffee cup. "So, let's get back to the subject I originally asked you about," he suggested.

"And what subject would that be?" I tried to act like I had _no idea_ what he was even asking. 

"Is it true that you've never had an orgasm?" His questions was firm, but low enough that not everyone in business class could hear him. 

Really, I wasn't sure how many of our fellow passengers were still awake. The lights had been dimmed after dinner, and it looked like most people had lowered their seats flat to sleep. He was so persistent when he wanted to know something, and in my....ummm...alcohol-induced relaxed state, I wondered if it was _really_ that big of a deal to tell him what he wanted to know. Like he said, I'd never see him again.

I took a deep breath. "It's true. I haven't. End of discussion."

Okay, so maybe I _wasn't_ all that comfortable admitting that my sex life sucked to a guy like Ben. I doubted he'd be able to empathize. Something told me that Mr. Orgasm had never left a woman unsatisfied. 

"Wait a minute. You can't just leave it like that. You have to tell me _why_ ," he insisted. 

I let out a sigh. "I'm not a virgin, if that's what you're asking. I've had two serious, long-term relationships, and it just didn't happen to me. Maybe some women just aren't...orgasmic."

"Or _maybe_ the men you were seeing absolute morons," he grumbled. 

Ben sounded so indignant that my lips curved up in a smile. "So what if I've never had an orgasm with a guy? Is it really _that_ big of a deal?"

His voice got louder and a little more annoyed. "Hell, yes, it's a big deal. If you've never _had_ an orgasm during fantastic sex, you'd know how big of a deal it really is. Why even bother to have sex if your partner can't get to finish line?"

I wanted to tell him that my male partners had never had an issue getting to _their_ finish line, but we were sitting on a plane full of passengers, and I didn't really want them to hear us discussing my sex life. I might be pretty tipsy, but obviously not to the point where embarrassment wasn't a possibility. 

"It's not that really that important to me, Ben. Keep your voice down."

"Sorry," he rumbled apologetically. "But I think you should insist on more."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Great. Now I'm sitting next to a Dr. Phil." 

I was starting to get a little offended, but Ben was probably right. I _hadn't_ ever demanded much from either of my previous long-term love interests. I'd met my first boyfriend at the university, and we'd both put more effort into our studies than our relationship, not to mention the fact that we'd both been pretty young and inexperienced. The second one had come along just when I'd been starting my previous job in corporate law.

We'd worked in the same company. He'd been climbing the ladder to get an executive position, and I'd been career-focused, too, so neither of us had really given our relationship our very best efforts. 

We'd finally broken it off when I moved to London to take over KCM. We'd probably both known that there was really nothing there anymore, but we'd gotten comfortable after several years together, kind of like roommates who were friends with benefits. When were both home....and not too exhausted. Okay. Yeah. Well. Maybe we _hadn't_ reaped the benefits all that often. 

Still we'd seen no reason to break if off until I'd decided I was moving closer to London. 

"Hey. I didn't mean to upset you, Rey." Ben sounded _almost_ contrite. "You're absolutely right. It's not my place to give you advice. I just think you should demand something...better."

I did a major eyeroll. _Sheesh!_ He'd done so well with his first few sentences. And then....he'd just had to go there with his personal opinion during the last one. _Again._

I lifted a brow as I asked him. "Why do I think you have a very hard time not giving your opinion?" I wasn't really angry with Ben. In fact, it was kind of sweet that he was trying to be my champion. 

Ben frowned at me. "Honestly, I usually don't give _anyone_ my personal opinion on _anything._ I'm the boss at my company. I give orders, not opinions."

I turned my head to look at him. I recognized a hint of hardcore authorization in his tone I hadn't heard before. For some reason, I bought the fact that Ben I'd been talking with for the past three or four hours wasn't the fact he _usually_ showed tot he world. Maybe it was intuition...

Or the seemingly bewilderment I saw in his beautiful brown eyes right now. Whatever it was, his chagrin was real. 

I reached a hand, but I couldn't quite touch him, so I just kept it on the armrest between us. "Hey. Are you okay, Ben? Yeah, maybe I didn't ask for your opinions, but now I'm kind of glad you made me think. You're right about the fact that the men in my life never put much effort into a relationship. But then, neither did I. It worked both ways." '

His eyes grew clearer as he asked gruffly, "Why were you even together?"

I shrugged. "I guess they were my okay-for-now-boyfriends, just like I was their okay-for-now girlfriend. Haven't you ever had someone like that? Somebody you don't mind being with, even if they don't set your body on fire or anything."

He quirked an eyebrow, the amusement back in his eyes again. "Yeah. I call them my friends, and I don't sleep with any of them." 

I made a face at him. "I mean haven't you had that kind of relationship with a female."

"No," he answered. "It seems rather pointless, don't you think? I think I prefer hooking up with a woman I like for amazing sex, and then going home when the evening is over. No strings attached."

 _Really?_ "So you all want is good sex from a woman?"

He hesitated before he answered? "I'd prefer incredible sex, if you don't mind. And it's just never gone any further than that. Most of the woman I've dated aren't looking for anything more intense. So it's always worked out well for me." 

I was beyond ready to call bullshit on his statement about nothing ever "going further" for him. That it had just ever happened. Somehow, I knew that he sought out women who wouldn't ask for more. It had never gone further because he designed it that way. What I didn't know was _why_ he did it. 

"That sounds....pretty cold of you," I observed aloud. 

"Is it really any worse than being just an okay-for-now-girlfriend?"

I thought about his question before I replied, "Probably not."

"At least I've never left a woman unsatisfied."

I shot him a dubious look. "How do you _know_ that? Women fake it all the time." 

He glared back at me. "I assure you that _no woman_ has ever had to fake it with me...ever."

Did he _not_ know that every guy in the entire world thought that, too? I was sorely tempted to do the whole Meg-Ryan-I'm-faking-an-orgasm scene from the movie When Harry Met Sally, but I knew that nobody could ever fake it as well as Meg did. I certainly couldn't. I never even tried to fake it, and my boyfriends had never really cared. Done with the entire conversation, I reached for my carry-on bag and sifted through the contents for a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.

"I need to change. I want to try to get some sleep."

Ben was reclined, so there wasn't enough space in the pod for me to avoid swinging a leg over his to get to the aisle. It shouldn't have been a difficult task. It wasn't like I had to _crawl_ over him. It was just his lower legs, for God's sake. It was just a little.. _.hop!_

Unfortunately, the small leap was a whole lot harder than I anticipated after all the cocktails I'd swilled down over the last few hours. I got dizzy from getting up too fast, and then tried to catch myself by grasping Ben's seat behind me after I'd jumped over his long, stretched-out legs. 

I failed to catch myself, and I panicked for a moment as I started to fall backward. Strong arms wrapped solidly around me, pulling my upper body against a very solid chest as my ass landed very inelegantly in Ben's lap.


	5. Chapter 5

I knew what I was completely fucked from the second her statuesque body collided with mine, and I smelled a faint, mouthwatering scent of....strawberries. _Christ!_ When in the hell had a fruit become an aphrodisiac? Yeah, I liked strawberries well enough, but they'd never exactly gotten my dick hard.

I'd been aware that Rey was tipsy, but she'd gone into motion so fast that I hadn't had a chance to move my legs so she could be more careful once she got to her feet.

Transatlantic Airlines prided themselves on their extra-wide, reclining, lie-flat seats in business class, and I was just figuring out how very convenient they were as I steadied Rey's curve figure in my lap. I'd wrapped my arms tightly around her as she'd fallen to keep her upper body body from flopping over the armrest between us, which allowed her beautiful ass to plop directly into my lap. Her lower legs tangled naturally over my armrest next to the aisle. 

I closed my eyes and stifled a tormented groan as the feel and the tantalizing scent of Rey wafted over my senses. I _wanted_ to know what she felt like in my arms, and now, I knew. I guess I'd never known that a guy could feel ecstasy and torture at the same time. 

My cock had responded immediately by pushing eagerly against her shapely ass. _Jesus!_ She smelled so damn sexy. She felt like she made to be plastered against me just like this. Every primal male instinct I had said that this woman was...mine. That she and I should always be just like this...

_Wait a minute! That's totally ridiculous. I hardly know her._

I shook my head slightly, knowing my brain wasn't going to win the battle between my body and my mind. Not now. Not with her. Not when this gorgeous female was a close to me as she could get on with our clothes on. 

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry," Rey muttered as she started wriggling to get up. 

"Don't!" I insisted. "Don't. Move."

The more she squirmed, the more my cock responded to that motion. Maybe I was a masochist, and I liked being tortured, but I knew I hadn't had my fill of anguish just yet. 

"Ben, I have to get up," she said firmly. "I'm sorry. I guess I just got a little dizzy from all those cocktails I drank. I don't usually have more than one."

 _Fuck!_ I love the breathlessness of her voice, a sound that old me that she wasn't totally immune to the insane sexual attraction between us. 

"You're fine right where you are," I argued. "Are you okay?"

"I'm not hurt," she answered softly. "But I feel ridiculous just sitting here."

Strangely, it really bothered me that she felt uncomfortable sitting in my lap. "It's not like anybody noticed except me, Rey. And I'm sure as hell not complaining about it."

The business section was dark. Most of the passengers were sleeping, or resting with earbuds in as they watched their small television with their overhead lights off. The flight attendants were unobtrusive and quiet somewhere in the galleys to give passengers their sleep time. 

Rey's arm crept around my shoulders to steady herself as she said, "I'm heavy, Ben. I need to get up."

 _Heavy?_ What the hell was she talking about? She felt incredible to me. "You're perfect, Rey." My voice was far hoarser than I'd have liked it to be.

"You're insane," she accused.

"I think you're the one making me that way." I blamed _her_ , only _half_ joking.

I'd never experienced this kind of chemistry with anyone before, so it was, in fact, fifty percent her fault, right? I had no idea _why_ I was reacting to Rey this way, and quite honestly, I wasn't sure if I liked it. I wasn't an insta-lust kind of guy. Before she'd fallen into my lap, I'd been trying to figure out why the real Benjamin Solo had fled my body, only to be replaced by a guy who couldn't control his reaction to some random female sitting next to him on a plane.

 _Jesus Christ!_ I'd certainly never felt any kind of instant desperation to fuck any female. I planned my liaisons carefully, and never with a woman that I _didn't_ even know. 

Normally, I'd be on my laptop right after we'd gotten airborne. It didn't usually matter if my seatmate was male or female, young or old, attractive or unattractive. I simply....didn't notice. This particular flight had been different since the second I'd laid eyes on Rey.

I hadn't been myself since I'd given to some strange compulsion to look at her texts. For fuck's sake, I'd actually read those messages like they were the most fascinating reading material I could find. 

And then, to make things even worse, I'd actually tried to make her feel better because she'd looked so damn disheartened. Oh, and let's not even mentioned the fact that I'd cajoled her into telling me about her sex life. I released a heavy breath as I tried to figure out what in the hell was so different about Rey. I was attracted to the female I was holding in a way I'd never experienced before, and honestly, wasn't comfortable with, either.

It was something instinctive. Like a hard kick to the gut that I couldn't even ignore. My _brain_ hadn't functioned properly since I'd gotten on the flight. _Shit!_ I wasn't a guy who let his cock rule his goddamn brain! 

"I can't just sit here for the entire flight, Ben," Rey whispered loudly next to my ear. She sounded so nervous, but not in a frightened sort of way.

"Just a few more minutes," I persuaded as I pressed my face against her hair like a man fucking desperate for the scent of a woman. But I wasn't frantic to breathe in _any female. Just. Her._ "You smell so damn good, Rey."

She snorted lightly. "I'm not wearing anything. It's probably my shampoo or body wash. I showered right before I came to the airport, thank God. I had no idea I'd get drunk and fall into the lap of attractive man right next to me."

I wrapped my hand around the fat braid of her hair, and gently turned her face toward me. "Are you attracted to me, Rey?"

I already knew the answer to my question. There was no possible way I was in crazy-town alone. As our eyes met, I could feel the red-hot chemistry flowing between the two of us, but for some reason, I wanted to _hear_ her admit that she felt the same damn indescribable pull toward me that I was experiencing with her. 

She nodded slowly. We were so close I could see her swallow hard before she answered, "Yes. How could I not be? You're the entire package, Ben. Tall, dark, and handsome. With a sexy American accent, too. Okay, maybe you're a little arrogant, but as long as you're not doing that really bossy thing you do, even your ego is kind of hot."

I felt a smile tug at my lips as I insisted, "I don't do a bossy thing." 

Her snort was louder this time. "You're seriously bossy sometimes."

I had no doubt that she was probably right. I was used to being the boss around here. The fact that she didn't seem the least bit daunted made the woman _even more attractive_ in my eyes. I was Benjamin Solo, and all I heard was _"yes, sir"_ from all of my employees as they scrambled to do whatever it was that I needed done every single day. It was probably a little twisted that I actually liked the fact that Rey had no idea who I was, or that my life was far from normal.

I knew her attraction to _me_ was real. It had nothing to do with the obscene amount of money or power that I had. I toyed with the lock of her dark hair that escaped from her braid. "I'm just a guy with all of the regular faults."

I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince her that I wasn't different, or _myself._

She smiled. "Just a guy who can get any woman to drop her panties because he's way too attractive to ignore, and very charming when he wants to be?"

I shook my head. "I've never been charming or claimed to be, Rey. You probably just think I'm charming because you're more than just a little pissed."

She wrinkled her brow. "I'm not pissed at you."

I chuckled. "Not pissed as in...angry. Pissed as in...drunk. You're British, you should know what that means."

She nodded. "Basically shitfaced in American terms. Definitely."

I grinned. "I think I like the word 'pissed' better."

She titled her head adorably. "I think I like that word better better, too. So I guess I am....pissed."

I had to wonder just how open she would have been if she was completely sober right now. Rey was the at the perfect point of drunkenness', when her inhibition's were low and she wasn't quite steady on her feet, but she wasn't completely out of touch with the world, either. 

I stroked the flawless skin of her cheek, mesmerized by how incredibly soft she was....everywhere. "You're so damn beautiful, Rey."

She slapped my shoulder. "See. I was right. You're _totally_ charming. I'm not beautiful. My mother was beautiful, though. I always wished I looked more like her. She was petite, and never carried an extra pound--"

I put a finger to her lips to stop her from saying anything else negative about herself. "You're absolutely fucking perfect." 

I knew she wasn't fishing for compliments by any means. She really thought she was highly flawed, and I hated that. What kind of assholes had she dated who made her feel like she was anything less than wholly desirable? Some primitive instinct made me want to punch every single one of them not appreciating Rey just the way she was. 

She made a face at me. "There's no need for flattery. I decided a long time ago that I'd rather be smart than hot."

I ran a thumb over her luscious mouth, tracing her lips. "Lucky for you then that you're both of those things."

She opened her mouth to voice what I already knew would be a denial. Since I didn't want to hear it, I knew I was about to do what any red-blooded man would do with a smoking-hot brunette sitting in his lap. I put my hand firmly behind her head and did exactly what I'd wanted to do since the first moment I'd laid eyes on this beautiful, fascinating, and infuriating woman. I swooped in and captured her mouth so she couldn't say anything at all. 


	6. Chapter 6

It wasn't like I'd never been kissed before. I had. Plenty of times, in fact. I'd had boyfriends, and dates that had never turned into anything more than a goodnight kiss. Kisses could be pleasant. Kisses could make a woman feel wanted. But bloody hell, kisses had _never_ felt like an all-consuming claiming of my body and soul. Not until...now

Not until....him. Not until....this moment. Not until....Ben Solo. Yeah, an embrace could _lead_ to a sexual act. But with Ben, his kiss _wasn't_ a subtle prelude. 

It was raw, hungry, and sexy as hell. It was a main event. He ravished my mouth like it was something he had to do or die. I was so stunned that it took me a moment to react, but when I did, I had no choice but to give back exactly what he was giving. His hungry mouth was way too compelling to do anything else. I released a small moan of surrender against his lips, closed my eyes, and allowed myself to fall into the molten embrace.

It was so irresistible, so urgent, that I couldn't possibly stop it. I let my tongue duel with his, absorbing the taste of Ben like he was a highly decadent dessert with a cherry on top. 

When he pulled back a little to nibble on my bottom lip, I whimpered from the loss of all of that male passion, craving it like a drug until he stopped teasing and covered my mouth again. I speared my hands into his dark hair, luxuriating in the feel of the coarse, short strands sifting between my fingers. 

Okay, so maybe I was a little....pissed. But I was downright drunk with the scent, taste, and feel of this man, who was completely devouring me like I was the tastiest thing he'd ever sampled. An intense heat flowed between my thighs as he stroked one of his large hands up and down my spine, and I was stunned by my reaction.

I wanted him so much that I wanted to crawl inside him, be surrounded by his essence, and never come out again. 

My instincts felt like they were being guided by some kind of feral desire I never knew existed until now. It was frightening as it was exhilarating. I didn't know what in the hell was happening to me, but the sensations he was wringing from my body were so exquisite that i didn't want them to end.

He pulled away abruptly, and I squeaked from the loss. "Ben." I said his name, breathless and panting as I leaned back to look at his face.

"For fuck's sake, don't move, Rey." His voice was a husky demand.

The light was dim, but I was close that I could see his face. His eyes were a deep, swirling, brown-gold, a color way different from the light peridot they'd been earlier. Ben was breathing just as heavily as I was, and his tormented expression made my heart ache.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, my pulse still racing.

He pinned me with his hardened gaze. "Just give me a minute. It's not like I can get you naked and fuck you right here in this seat."

My eyes grew wider. I knew what it meant to fuck someone. Was that really what he wanted to do? Did Ben really want to fuck me right here, right now? 

"You want to do that?" I asked hesitantly.

"Do you really have to ask that question?" he queried in a dangerous tone.

I took a deep breath that came out in a shaky exhalation. _No._ I probably _didn't_ need to hear him confirm that. Not after a kiss that had all but shaken my to my very core. 

"Never mind," I say shakily.

Maybe it was just really hard for me to understand how a man like Ben could kiss me like that, like he really...wanted me. Like he needed me, even. _What the actually hell?_ Granted, my head was a little fuzzy from too many cocktails, but I knew no guy had ever consumed me with a single kiss before. In fact, no man had ever moved me that way with _any_ kind of touch, sexual or not, like Ben had just done. 

When had anybody ever wanted me that much? Um...the answer to that would be...never. Ever. I looked around the business section. All of the other pods were dark, or the occupants busy with their own distractions. 

_I'm sitting here, shaken and destroyed, and not one single person in the area even noticed that Ben was rocking my entire world._

"Hell, I'm sorry, Rey," Ben said gutturally. "I'm acting like a asshole." 

I quickly shot him a smile. "I take it a asshole is a bad thing?"

"An _tosser_ in British terms," he informed me. "A huge _tosser._ "

There was no way for Ben to know that I was actually kind of flattered that he wanted to rip off my clothes and fuck me. 

I shrugged. "It's okay. I guess it's strange. Nobody has ever really wanted me that much."

Okay, maybe that sounded pathetic, but my mouth hadn't really had a filter for the last few hours. I'd probably said quite a few things that I wouldn't normally say to a complete stranger. But was Ben still a stranger, though? After we'd had our tongues down each other's throats and all?

"I'm fairly certain that you can feel the proof of my attraction against your ass right now," he said dryly.

I nodded. He'd been hard since the moment I'd landed in his lap, but I'd chalked that up to surprise or an involuntary reaction to _any_ woman landing on top of a man. 

He rubbed a hand over his face, and responded like he'd read my mind. "I do want _you,_ Rey. I'm not some randy adolescent who can't control my dick." 

I nodded again. "I think I'm starting to get that now."

And it was kind of scary. Men who looked like Ben generally were not attracted to a woman like me. In my short time on this earth, in my whole existence, no one, not even an average guy, had looked at me the way Ben Solo did. 

"I was frustrated," he admitted. "And I normally don't get frustrated like this."

His voice sounded like he'd found some leashed control, and I wasn't certain if I was sad or relieved about that. "I really need to get up now," I told him. 

I had to be squashing the crap out of him, and I really, really needed to pee. All of those cocktails had found their way to my bladder, and it was getting _very_ uncomfortable. 

He looked resigned. "I'm not going to apologize for kissing you, Rey, if that's what you're hoping. Just for the way that I reacted afterwards."

"I really don't want you to be sorry for something that felt that nice."

He lifted a brow. "Nice? That's it? It was just...nice?"

He looked so disgruntled that I had to hold back my laughter. Really, the man _was_ arrogant. "Okay, so maybe it was a little more than just nice," I considered.

He rested his forehead against mine. "I'm totally deflated."

I laughed because I couldn't hold it back this time. "What do you _want_ me to say about it, Ben?"

He then kissed my forehead. "Something a little more complimentary that just... _nice._ That word practically made my balls shrivel up and fall clean off."

I squirmed just a little. "Nope. I'm afraid they haven't. They're definitely still there." 

He cupped my face and looked at me with a fiery gaze that sent a shiver of need down my spine. "Shall we try again so you can look for a better word?"

"No!" I squeaked. "Not that it wasn't lovely, but I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Lovely?" he said in a disgruntled tone. "Is that supposed to be a step up from _nice?_ Because I have to tell you, sweetheart, it really isn't that much of an improvement. I really think we should try again."

My heart skipped a beat just from hearing a term of endearment aimed at me escape from those sexy lips of his. It sounded so natural. So unpracticed. I wasn't sure if he'd even noticed that he'd said it. It was probably pitiful that I'd nearly melted into a puddle at his feet when he'd uttered it.

"Once was more than enough," I said firmly. 

No matter how much I wanted him to kiss me, I did _not_ want to feel like I was about to spontaneously combust again on a crowded airplane, whether most of the passengers were sleeping or not. I'd gotten so lost in Ben, to the point where I'd wanted to straddle the gorgeous man and ride him into oblivion. And I didn't _ride_ anyone. 

It was way too awkward for a bigger woman like me. He moved closer, his lips barely an inch from mine. "Are you certain about that?"

My body started to tremble as his husky baritone sent my female hormones into overdrive. He was so close I could almost taste him, and I wanted Ben so badly that I nearly threw caution to the wind and breached the tiny distance between his mouth and mine. 

"I'm sure," I told him, my tone desperate. 

He kissed me softly, an embrace so brief that I barely even felt it, and then leaned back with a masculine sigh. "You're right. This isn't the time or the place."

My heart sank with disappointment, even though I'd been the one to refuse him. "I have to get up, Ben," I insisted. 

"And you will, just as soon as you admit that our attraction goes both ways."

"What? So I can feel your arrogance?" I was sort _of_ joking with him, but there was a part of me that really didn't want to be just a woman he'd kissed on a long-haul flight.

A female who had been mesmerized with a single kiss, and then _told him_ how incredible that single encounter had been.

He searched my face as he answered, "No. I just wanted to know that I wasn't the only one who just experienced the hottest kiss I've ever had in my entire life."

And...just...like...that....I melted. I just gave up, gave in. His eyes were so sincere that I instinctively knew that it wasn't his arrogance talking right now. In fact, I almost sensed that he was...insecure? Was it possible for a make like Ben to be vulnerable to _any kind_ of self-doubt?

I blurted out of the words I knew he desperately wanted to ear. "Okay, here's the truth. It was the most amazing kiss I've ever had. Ever single kiss I have for the rest of my life will probably be compared to the one we just shared, and come up wanting. You completely rocked my world, Ben," I hesitated before I asked. "Are you happy now?"

He grinned up at me. "Completely ecstatic," he drawled. 

"I have to pee really bad, so I have to get up now," I informed him.

"Right," he said as he put his hand under my ass and pushed until I moved toward the armrest next to the aisle. "Up you go." 

My toes touched the ground as I finally became perched on the armrest. I stood up and put a hand on the back of his recliner. "I'm good," I told him.

Once my head stopped spinning, I cautiously bent down to pick up the change of clothes that had landed next to his seat when I'd fallen. Ben kept a hand near my waist, probably just in case I decided to swan dive into his lap again. I turned toward the rear of the plane. The restroom wasn't far away, and I was feeling more confident that I could get there safely on my own, when Ben spoke again.

"Do you need help?"

"Nope. I'm good. No more falling into the laps of gorgeous men." If I was still shaky, it wasn't from the alcohol. It was _that damn kiss._

He frowned as he looked up at me. "No falling into _any other_ men's laps," he grumbled, like the thought of me kissing another guy was completely unacceptable to him. 

He almost sounded...jealous, but I quickly removed that possibility from my mind. I'd never inspired any kind of protectiveness or possessiveness from any man. 

"Seriously? I'm okay, Ben," I assured him as I moved toward the bathroom.

It was a rather short walk, but I could've sworn that I could feel Ben watching me until I slipped inside the restroom door and locked it securely behind me. I was going to make absolutely certain---hot kiss or not---that he _wasn't_ getting inside. 


	7. Chapter 7

"I hope you have a pleasant visit to the UK," Rey muttered as she was drinking her tea near the end of the flight.

She'd put her seat down flat after she'd changed clothes earlier, and had fallen asleep almost immediately. I'd envied the fact that she could pass out so easily, even though I knew it probably had a lot to do with the amount of alcohol she'd consumed. Me? _Dammit!_ I hadn't slept a single moment.

My mind had been racing to figure out exactly _how_ I could dig myself out of the dark hole I'd landed myself in. I _had_ gotten my laptop out after Rey had gone to sleep, but I'd done absolutely nothing productive, which was a rarity for me. If my computer was out and turned on, I was working, churning through things that needed my approval my personal input. I wasn't used to not being productive, and I sure as well wasn't accustomed to a woman getting me so damn distracted that my priority wasn't Solo International. 

But there it was...the first time I'd ever put my thoughts about a woman over my business interests. I'd pondered my dilemma for hours, and I still hadn't come up with a solution. 

Problem was, I could hardly tell Rey that I was Ben Solo now. She'd probably hate me for lying to her, and for initiating that whole tell-me-what-you-would-have-said-if-you-had-the-opportunity-to-do-the-presentation-again discussion. 

I'd been so eager to hear her talk that I hadn't taken a moment to think about the fact that I might want to see her again. I hadn't thought about the future, but I'd known that she would have never said a word to me if she'd known my true identity. _Can I blame her for that, really? In the public eye, I'm a hedonistic bastard who apparently loves gigantic orgies with strange, unknown women._

No, I _couldn't_ tell her the truth, even if I wanted to spill my guts about it. I couldn't possibly out Kylo, and I'd have to if I ever wanted Rey to speak to me again. A few days ago, I couldn't have cared less about what the public thought of me. Now, I cared. I cared a lot. All because of the woman sitting beside me who had been treating me like a total stranger form the minute she'd woken up a quarter of an hour ago.

 _I hope you have a pleasant visit to the UK...?_ Was was _that_ statement all about? I was fairly certain it was a brush-off, but I couldn't say for sure since nobody had ever really brushed me off before.

Maybe Rey was embarrassed by our discussion and _that damn kiss,_ now that she was sober. 

"I'm hope it will be," I answered vaguely, stalling for time to think as I made myself a cup of coffee. 

What exactly where my choices here? I could either spill out my guts to her, or just walk away from Rey like I'd never experienced this mind-blowing attraction that I had to her. I'd forget about her, right? _Oh, hell no._ Who in the hell was I trying to convince?

This wasn't going to be one of those out-of-sight, out-of-mind situations. I'd remember her, the way I'd felt when her gorgeous body had been plastered to mine, the frank discussions we'd had, and that fucking kiss. _That damn kiss!_

"So how long are you planning to stay here in London?" she asked in a polite voice that I instantly decided that I hated.

Jesus! What had happened to that sexy, breathless voice that had gotten my cock so hard that I'd been so desperate to fuck her? Now, it had been replaced by that prim-and-proper tone that I identified with British individuals. _Really?_ Like I'm sill not trying to control my dick, sexy voice or not?

"I have no idea," I told her honestly. "However long it takes to get my business done here, I guess."

 _Dammit!_ Having this superficial discussion grinded on me after we'd been so damn close the night before, but what fucking choice did I have? Obviously, she wanted to put some distance between us, maybe because she was embarrassed, but there was also the distinct possibility that she'd woken up, looked at me, and decided that I just wasn't her type. Her comments had been short and disinterested since she opened her eyes earlier.

_Was it possible that she'd only confided in me, kissed me like I was the only man in the world for her, because she'd had one too many cocktails?_

Let it go, Ben. Just let it go. It was only one kiss. Okay, it was one extraordinary kiss, but it's not like you formed some kind of relationship with this woman in a matter of a few hours. Besides, I couldn't find a way out of my current situation, and I'd rather see a polite look on her gorgeous face than one that said that she completely hated my guts. 

In any event, _now_ was not really the time to become infatuated with a woman. I had Kylo and my corporation to worry about, and those two things consumed every waking moment of my day. 

Not that I'd _ever_ experienced an infatuation with any female, but if it was going to happen at some point in my life, I'd like it to happen _later_ , when all of this mess with Kylo was finally resolved. I was the sole partner in Solo who _didn't_ have his mind all screwed up right now, so it was really important for me to stay rational. I was silent until the flight attendant came around to pick up all of the plates, utensils, and trash in preparation for landing. 

Ignoring the fact that saying goodbye to Rey didn't feel right, I buckled my seat belt and brought my seat back into the landing position. But as the jet descended, I couldn't seem to keep my mouth shut.

"Can I offer you a ride home?"

 _Now why in the hell did I just say that?_ Hadn't I already convinced myself to let this whole encounter go? Yeah, I had, but instinct had overridden my rationale for just a moment.

"No, thank you," she said in a courteous, aloof voice that irritated the living hell out of me. "My friend is picking me up. I don't live in London."

"You don't?" I asked with more curiosity in my tone than I would have liked. "Where do you live? Isn't your office in London?"

"Surrey," she replied. "But since there's a nonstop through Transatlantic, it's easier to do the drive from London to Surrey than deal with layovers to get out of a smaller airport."

I wasn't familiar with much of the city outside of London. "And where exactly is Surrey?"

"It's South-East from London. It's about an hour drive from LGW in good traffic. Of course, decent traffic on the A3 doesn't happen all that often."

I turned my head to look at her. She sounded a little more relaxed, but she still wasn't looking in my direction. Her entire focus seemed to be looking at whatever was outside her window. Honestly, I should be _grateful_ that she'd refused a ride from me. I had a car and driver picking me up, which would have looked a little weird for a normal guy. Unfortunately, I didn't feel overjoyed that she'd refused. 

In fact, it was more than a little depressing that she hadn't hesitated to turn me down flat. 

"Still feeling unhappy about the way your meeting went?" I had to ask. The whole situation at Solo wasn't her fault.

She turned her had to look at me, and the sad smile on her lips hit me like a sharp kick to the balls. "I'll live," she answered flatly. "Eventually, I guess I'll see it as just a learning experience."

"The circumstances were out of your control, Rey. Don't blame yourself." _Dammit!_ For some reason, I _still_ wanted to console her.

She leaned back against the headrest, her eyes still on me. "Thanks for letting me talk about it earlier. I'm so sorry I...had a little too much to drink."

Ahh..so she _was_ embarrassed about that. "Don't be sorry for anything, Rey. It was a fascinating...discussion." 

Her cheeks flushed a rosy red, so I knew damn well that she hadn't forgotten that kiss. _That damned kiss!_

She shook her head. "I wasn't myself, Ben. Not at all."

"Meaning that, as a rule, you don't kiss a man you barely known during a long-haul flight?"

"Never," she said adamantly. "I'm so sorry, Ben. I don't know what I was thinking..."

"Don't," I said gruffly. "Please, don't regret it."

She tilted her head as she gazed at me curiously. "That's just the thing. I don't. Not really. It's just a little mortifying that I got tipsy enough to fall into your lap and let it happen in the first place. Just tell me that you're not married or seriously involved with someone."

I felt a little insulted by that gesture. "Do you really think I would have kissed you if I was?"

She lifted a brow. "Do you really need to ask that question? Guys do it all the time, if you believe it."

I pointed a dinger at my chest. "Not this guy."

Okay, so now I _knew_ that I definitely couldn't tell her that I was Benjamin Solo, apparent thrower of large orgies and a guy who needed more than a woman in his bed. At least, that's what she think if she knew.

She nodded slowly. "Then I guess all I can say is it was nice meeting you."

I grinned. "It was more than just _nice_ meeting you, Rey Kenobi," I responded.

The wheel hit the runway, and I was suddenly slammed back into reality. Rey would go her way, and I'd go mine. It was time for this pleasant little interlude between us to end. I was Benjamin Solo, and there wasn't a single thing I could do about that fact. Like it or not, I was never going to see this mesmerizing woman again. This flight couldn't end any other way. I stood to take my suit jacket from the flight attendant once the jet got to the date.

"Oh, My God. You _are_ tall," Rey said in a slightly awed voice as she got up from her seat.

I lifted her suitcase to bring it into the aisle for her. As she stood beside me, I realized just how much height those long, beautiful legs added to her stature. The woman was beautifully statuesque, but she was _at least_ half a head shorter than me. 

I had no idea why she thought being tall and curvy was a such negative thing.

I shrugged. "Being tall has its advantages."

"Not when you're taller than most of your dates," she answered wryly. 

_Dates? Dates?_ Why did it bother me to think about Rey being with any other man? It wasn't like we were an item or anything. I had to remind myself that we hardly knew each other.

I looked down and our gazes locked as we waited for the doors to open so that we could disembark. For an instant, I could barely ignore the urge to swoop down and kiss those gorgeous lips of her again. Opportunity was knocking, and I wanted to fling that door wide open, and say to hell with the consequences. 

Fierce need to claim this woman was eating my guts out. We were so close that I could literally feel the warmth of her breath on my face. 

I clenched my fists, trying to fight the powerful urge to touch her, to kiss her again, until a voice of caution rang pretty damn loudly inside my head. _And when what, Ben? Provided she lets you paw her in public, what happens after that? You have to let it go, man. Seeing her again, hiding your true identity, wouldn't be fair to her. Just. Let. It. Go. It's better that way._

And just like that, the aircraft door, and that fleeting moment of opportunity was gone. I shrugged off my disappointment. I didn't want to be the asshole who hurt her feelings. 

I'd rather just be...nothing. A brief encounter that she'd soon forget. Waving her in front of me, I watched as she gripped her suitcase and went toward the exit. The woman moved with purpose, her ample hips swaying, a fact that made her look elegant, even though she was still dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. I followed behind her as we both headed toward the baggage claim, wondering if I was going to regret not getting one last taste of Rey before we parted.

"Bloody hell. I regret it already," I grumbled under my breath as Rey's long-legged strides carried her into the crowd and out of sight.


	8. Chapter 8

_Kaydel: Waiting in a no-waiting zone. Hurry!_

I smiled down at the text. It wasn't unusual for Rose to be parked illegally, but she'd gotten so many parking tickets in the last year that she was actually starting to be a little more cautious. I spied my bag the moment I got to the baggage claim, and hefted it off the belt.

Two seconds later, I was sprinting, two suitcases in tow, to get to the pickup area. If Rose was forced to circle the airport, it could take forever for her to get back to me again. It didn't matter that I had an evening arrival. LGW traffic was pretty much a nightmare at any time of the day. I was breathless by the time I got outside and to the curb, but I kept moving toward the median since there was no curbside pickup.

Even if I'd wanted to, there hadn't been time for me to find Ben and say goodbye. Part of me was relieved that the farewell opportunity hadn't been there. No doubt it would have been really awkward, and since I was the queen of being at ill ease, _that_ moment was better off avoided altogether.

"Rey! I'm here!" The forceful female voice called out just as I spotted my best friend. Kaydel was waving a hand in the air at the back of her older BMW, the trunk already opened for my luggage. "Welcome home," she said jovially as I tossed my suitcases in the trunk.

We hugged hurriedly before we jumped into the vehicle. "I'm so glad to be home," I said with a low sigh.

"Bad flight?" she asked with a frown.

I shook my head I put my seat belt on. "No. It was fine. I just..."

"Come on, Rey. Tell me. I've known you since grade school. It's not like I can't tell when something's wrong. I know the presentation didn't go the way you wanted it to go, but you'd normally be over something like that pretty fast."

"Not necessarily, Kay. It was really bad. And it was a very large deal to blow. It would have expanded the entire company if we went international. Especially with an initial client like Solo International."

Honestly, I hadn't actually thought much about my botched presentation after I'd told Ben about it. He had completely distracted me. The loss of the deal hadn't even crossed my mind when I'd woken up near the end of the flight, either. I'd been too mortified about what had happened _before_ I'd fallen asleep. 

Kaydel put the car into gear, but we didn't move very far. The entire area was like a very large parking lot, so we were going to be inching along until we got outside the pickup area and onto the freeway. 

"Spill it," she demanded. "I heard about the scandal that happened right before your presentation. But I know this isn't about the meeting." 

Sometimes I really hated the fact that Kay could read me like a book. "It's nothing really bad. I just met this guy on the plane. I'm not sure what happened, exactly. I just had this...weird instant attraction to him. That's never happened to me before."

She snorted. "It's happened to me plenty of times, and it never ends all that well. After you satisfy your insta-lust, you usually find out the guy can't carry on an intelligent two-minute conversation. So what was he like?"

"Very tall. Dark. Handsome. American."

Kaydel squealed. "See, I told you. That sexy American accent will turn on a woman every single time. Did you join the mile-high club with Mr. Orgasm?"

I turned my head to glare at her, but it was hard to see her face clearly in the dark. "Are you kidding me?" 

Like I was _really_ going to be able to squeeze myself into one of those tiny restrooms on the plane with a guy as big as Ben to have myself a quickie. 

"He's a big guy. Even if I would have been inclined to screw some man I barely knew in a tiny bathroom on an international flight, we never would have fit."

"Did you even get his number? Did you give him yours?" Kaydel's voice was enthusiastic. "He might be the one to end you no-O problem."

I rolled my eyes. "Can you just get off your orgasm obsession already, Kay? I was attracted to him. That's it. We were sitting together on an airplane. We talked a lot."

"And he was smoking hot," Kaydel added.

"Okay. Yes, he was. He was incredibly attractive. And while everyone was sleeping, I kissed him, but there was no sex whatsoever involved." 

Never mind that Ben's kiss was hotter than any of the sex I'd ever had. I wasn't sure that I wanted to share that with Kay. She'd never stop digging at me about not giving him my number.

"So you kissed him, huh?" Kaydel's voice sounded shocked. "Way to go, Rey. I'm so proud of you. You're about the biggest prude I know, but you stepped outside your comfort zone for a change."

"I am most certainly not a prude." I was a little offended.

"Oh, pleeaze! Miz I-won't-sleep-with-a-man-unless-I'm-in-a-committed-relationship," Kaydel teased. "You've never even had a fling in your entire life!"

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "And you've had a million of them yourself?" I shot back at her.

"No. But I've had a few, and I was married for a couple of years."

She didn't have to mention that she'd never been unfaithful during the years she'd been married. I heard that shift in her voice, that infused sadness I could always recognize when she said anything about her marriage.

I quickly changed her subject. "I didn't give him my number because he didn't even ask for it." 

"Well, you could've at least asked for his," she suggested. "Or maybe you could have just given him yours anyway."

"I suppose. But he's not even my type. I doubt he would have had a problem asking for mine if he was interested in me."

I had no idea what I would have done if he'd wanted to see me again, but I was fairly certain I would have given Ben my number if he'd only asked for it. Maybe I _had_ made a fool of myself while I was under the influence of too many cocktails, but I still would have jumped at the chance to see him when my head was clear. 

"Now you'll never known what would have happened," Kaydel said, like not seeing Ben again was a major tragedy. "Did he say why he was here in the UK?"

"Business. He said he was here on business. He has his own company. A family business that he took over when his father died. It's weird, but he spent more time listening to me than talking about himself. He tried to give me a pep talk about what happened at Solo, too. He said that it wasn't my fault."

Kaydel let out a dramatic sigh. "And he's smart in addition to being hot. It wasn't your fault, Rey. Anybody making that presentation would have screwed. It just happened to be you. Who could compete with the adventures of a nymphomaniac? Solo could seriously used a fixer right now. If you ask me, they blew their chance to grab the best crisis manager agency in the world. Don't let it get to you. We'll get other chances to go international." 

I smiled. Kaydel was hard on herself, but quick to try to comfort anybody else. "So how are things at the office?"

"We picked up several new accounts while you were gone," she informed me, her voice upbeat. "They weren't huge, but we're conquering the entire country one client at a time."

God, I wished I could be as enthusiastic as the director of my company. Kaydel lived for this stuff. She'd actually worked for my mother before I'd taken over, and her talent expertise had been the only things that had kept me sane when I'd decided to keep my mother's business.

"That's fantastic," I told her, and I meant t. 

"Now if Rose and I can just find your Mr. Orgasm," Kaydel said impishly.

God, the last thing I needed was my two best friends putting their heads together to find me a man. There was no telling what they'd decide was orgasmic. 

"That's the problem. I think I found him, but he wasn't interested enough to ask for my number," I mumbled.

I let myself feel the disappointment I'd been holding back because Ben _hadn't_ asked for my contact information. Deep down, beneath my mortification about acting like a twist because I'd been intoxicated, I'd wanted him to want to see me again. 

"He was _that_ hot?" Kaydel questioned as we continued to move at the pace of a very slow turtle to get out of the pickup area. 

"He's..." My mouth snapped closed as I saw a guy putting his suitcase in the back seat of a dark luxury vehicle. "Oh, shit! He's here!"

"Where?" Kaydel asked as she craned her neck to look around. "Is that him?" She pointed at Ben as he opened the front passenger door to get inside the car.

I nodded. "Yes, that's him."

I groaned as we drove past the vehicle, and I tried not to wonder who was in the driver's seat. _What if he was lying? What if he really is married?_

"Um...he's definitely hot alright," Kaydel said slowly. "But it couldn't possibly have been that guy who was riding with you in the business class section of the Transatlantic Airlines.

"I'm pretty sure it was," I insisted. "That was Ben. I never did get his last name, though." 

"Holy shit! He actually _told you_ his name was Ben?"

I shot her an exasperated look. "Of course. That's his name. Why are you acting so weird, Kay?"

"Because _he's_ the last person I thought your mystery man might be." 

I wanted to study her face, try to gage what Kaydel was thinking, but the inside of her vehicle was too damn dark. "You mean to say, you _know_ him?"

It was quite possible, I supposed. Kaydel had lived in the US for a couple of years while she was married. But what were the chances of running into someone she knew here? There were literally millions of people in this city and the surrounding area. 

"I don't know him _personally_ , but I do know of him," she answered carefully. 

"Well, then tell me what you know." Even though my chances of meeting up again with Ben were nonexistent, I still wanted to know more about him. 

Kaydel took a deep, audible breath. "Once you told me about bombing your presentation, I got curious and started to do some digging about the family."

"Did you see the scandalous picture?"

"Oh, I did, alright. The guy might be a disgusting man-whore, but he's got a really nice ass," she said mischievously. "It's kind of weird, but there's almost nothing else about him on the net. I had to dig pretty hard, but I finally found a photo of him on a business website. But it wasn't a _naked_ picture." 

"So what does all of this Solo research have to do with Ben?"

"Well, it turns out, Benjamin Solo is just as hot as the guy you met on the plane."

"He is?"

Okay, maybe it was a little hard to believe that the CEO of Solo International was _that_ attractive, but sometimes Kaydel and I had different tastes. 

"Yep. As a matter of fact, that man by the car back there was definitely Ben. His full name is Benjamin _Solo._ If you're totally certain that he was the guy who sat next to you, then you shared a hot kiss with the Solo man-whore."


	9. Chapter 9

I was completely knackered out as I pushed open the front door of the suite located in the luxurious Ritz-Carlton hotel that was owned by Solo International. My corporation owned homes and rented condos, in many locations, mostly in the places that had a Solo office nearby, which meant that we had residences in almost every country in the civilized world. 

"Kylo!" I barked in a loud voice that carried through the ultra-modern suite. 

I was exasperated when I got no reply. "Let me take your bags to your room so Amylin can get you unpacked, sir," my driver's voice insisted from behind me.

I nodded gratefully at the older man. "Thank you, Wedge. Do you have any idea where my wayward twin brother might be?"

Wedge and Amylin had been the caretakers for the Ritz-Carlton suite for my family since it had been acquired several years ago, and the two were more like family than employees. The two of them had been with the Solo family in some capacity for as long as I could remember. I'd grown up with the two of them working at our estate in Long Island. When the opportunity had come up for them to relocate to a chillier climate of London to be the caretakers for our residence here, neither one of the American natives had hesitated to move. 

They'd left the United States without a backward glance. 

"He was in the pool area before I left for the airport, Mr. Solo. You may still catch him there. But if you don't mind my saying so, your brother seems to be...in a mood." Wedge's voice was cautionary, but I didn't give a damn whether or not Kylo _wanted_ to talk or not. 

I was tired of tiptoeing around his state of mind. We _were_ going to talk about what happened in New York, and how it could affect Solo International in the future. 

I shrugged out of my suit jacket as I strode toward the pool area. I was hot. I was tired because I hadn't slept at all on my flight. But mostly, I was annoyed because Kylo's actions had kept me from pursuing a relationship with the most attractive, fascinating woman I'd met in...well...maybe in my entire life. 

If he hadn't created such a huge scandal, I would have been at that meeting with Rey, and I would have been every bit as mesmerized as I'd been sitting next to her on an airplane.

I would have hired her on the spot, and talked her into saying in New York longer so we could discuss the details, right after I'd taken her back to my place so I could fuck her until she begged for mercy. _Christ!_ I _had_ to stop thinking about Rey Kenobi. 

I saw Kylo sprawled out on a large lounge chair before I even entered the outdoor pool area. The outdoor space was enclosed in glass on the three sides, so one could admire the view of downtown London from the inside if they didn't care to step outdoors. The hotel sat high, with all of the lights of the city spread out in a seemingly endless area below. It was an amazing sight at night, but I ignored the splendor of the view.

My mind was on one thing and one thing only: threatening my brother with his life if he didn't get his shit together. 

I pushed on the glass door that led into the pool are as I yanked at my tie. It was a warm night, but I wasn't sure whether it was my state of dress or my irritation that made me feel like I was fucking suffocating.

"Kylo," I growled as I strode over to his lounge chair. "We need to have a talk."

My identical twin opened one eye and groaned. "Fuck off, Ben. I don't need a lecture." 

No what he needed was a lot more than a simple censure, which was the _only_ thing I'd been capable of doing...until right now. "You're completely fucked-up," I accused. 

Kylo and I shared more than a few drunken hours together when we were younger, before we'd had to grow up and face the multitude of responsibilities that had been left to us after our father had died. 

"Not fucked-up, exactly," Kylo said, his words slurred. "Just... _very_ relaxed." 

"Yeah, well, you've been pretty damn relaxed for the last two years then," I went to the bar, dropped ice in a glass, and poured myself a generous portion of a good Irish whiskey. 

I didn't normally drink to excess like Kylo obviously had tonight, but I knew I could use a good single malt as I tried to pill the reins in on my wild and crazy twin brother. 

"Why do you have to be so stiff and buttoned-up, brother?" Kylo asked as he leisurely opened a second eye to look at me. 

I tossed back a swig if my whiskey before I dryly. "I'm American. It's on our DNA."

He lifted a brow as he sat up in the lounger. "We have very similar DNA, and I know how to loosen up."

I rolled my eyes. _Of course_ we had similar DNA. We were identical twins. And he wasn't "loosened up." Kylo was thoroughly fucked-up. Big difference there. I took a deep breath, and let it out as I took a chair close to my brother's lounger. 

"All of this has to stop now, Kylo. The orgies. The eccentric behavior. Getting fucked-up until you have no idea what you're even doing. I realize that you didn't exactly hang around in London to see the fallout of showing you bare-naked ass in the middle of an orgy, but it was front-page tabloid news. You really hurt Mom, and the entire country now thinks it's me, not you, who needs multiple sex partners. What do you think some of our worldwide partners are going to think, the ones who are _really_ buttoned-up and conservative?" 

Kylo shook his head as he argued, "That was all a setup, Ben. I swear. One of those women slipped me something in my drink, and then took me somewhere. I had no idea what I was doing. Hell, I don't even think that I had sex with any of them. And I sure as well never _claimed_ to be you. I can tell you that right now."

My burrows narrowed as studied him. "Did you introduce yourself as Kylo?"

He shrugged. "Didn't say anything. I think they just _assumed_ I was you."

Okay, maybe I could buy that it _was_ actually a setup, possibly by one of our competitors who wanted to swoop in on a deal we were competing on with a religious-minded company somewhere. Since we did deals on a daily basis, it would be difficult to nail down _exactly_ who was responsible. _However..._

"You're not a fucking idiot, Kylo. If they slopped you something evidently you were already....impaired." My brother had a genius IQ and an almost scary intuition. Sober, he would have been wise to a possible setup like that.

"Okay, so I make a mistake," Kylo grumbled as he ran his palms across his face. "What happened to the Ben who doesn't give a damn about what the tabloids say about him?"

"I don't care," I snapped. "Not when the only one who's been affected is me. For fuck's sake, _Kylo,_ Mom saw that damned front-page photo, and so did our competition and partners. You've done some pretty ridiculous things in the last two years, stuff that I've been able to cover up or take full responsibility for, but I can't just make this one go away with the snap of my fingers or however much money I pay someone. The photo is out there everywhere until I can get it scrubbed from the net. Whether it was a setup or not, putting yourself in that position was a juvenile stunt." 

I love my brother, and I hated having this conversation with him. At one time, Kylo and I had been very close, and we'd respected the hell out of one another.

But that had been _another_ Kylo, not the selfish prick I'd been dealing with for the last two years, the one who didn't care about anyone except himself. _Christ!_ I wanted the _old Kylo_ back, and I hoped Mom was right about my real brother still being inside this seemingly empty shell I was talking to right now. 

"Look, I'm sorry about Mom seeing that photo," he said flatly, his eyes glazed as he glared at me. "But as far as Solo International goes, I couldn't care less what happens. Is that all you care about, Ben? Is everything about business for you now? You didn't used to be that way."

I clenched a fist, do damn tempted, for the first time in my life, to literally beat some sense into Kylo. "Like I have any choice?" I completely lost it. "Solo is _our_ legacy. I was supposed to have your help managing our empire. Instead of diving and conquering, I've been trying to keep my head above water, doing both your work and mine because you abandoned me two years ago. I'm also picking up the slack by trying to keep your personal life private, as well as covering our business interests alone. Do you have any fucking idea how damn difficult it is to erase an entire history from the internet? Or how hard it is to maintain it, especially when you're out there pulling some gossip-worthy stunts on a regular basis?" 

His copper-brown eyes went dark. "You already know why I drink," he ground out angrily. "What do you think I'm going to do, Ben? Just get over it. We made a deal."

"There was no damn _deal,_ just my promise to help you disappear. We never set a time limit on just how long all of this was supposed to last. I've kept my word, Kylo, but you aren't exactly using this time to get your fucking head together. In fact, you seem determined to screw it up even more." 

I took a deep breath. I wasn't furious because Kylo had just checked out for a while. I probably would have done the same. I'd been patient for _two fucking years._ Giving him his space.

I'd been more than willing to wait until he was ready to slowly check back in and talk to me. So I'd waited. Hoping every damn day that he'd finally talk to me about what had happened, confide in me about his pain. But Kylo had just become more withdrawn, more out of control, more self-destructive. It was time for me to admit to myself that Kylo probably wasn't going to come back after he'd had some time to deal.

Like it or not, I was going to have to drag him back, kicking and screaming, if I wanted my brother back.

"Nobody expects you to just get over it," I told him in a calmer tone. "But what you've been doing isn't exactly helping you heal. Kylo. You're spiraling down to where I can't reach you anymore, and I can't let that happen. If our positions were reserved, I know you wouldn't let me go."

My brother hot me a glare that would have made anyone else in the world back the hell off. "I would have kept my promise, Kylo. You know I would if our circumstances were reversed." 

I tried not to let myself be manipulated in anything. "Do you think that I betrayed you, Kylo? I haven't. Not once. Now, all I want is my twin brother back."

Kylo stood, and walked unsteadily to the bar to grab himself another beer. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't _want_ to be saved, Ben? That I don't deserve to heal?" 

I tossed back the last of my whiskey and slammed the tumbler on the side table before I got to my feet. "Why in the world would you feel _that way?"_ I said, irritated. "Talk to me, Kylo. I've never really understood--"

"I don't _want_ to talk about it," he snarled as he tore the top off the bottle. "Take Solo International, Ben. Give me enough money to live on and you can have the whole damn empire. It's not what I want anymore. I don't want to live in a fishbowl. I don't want to be one of the richest guys in the world. I just want to be left alone." 

Oh, hell no! Left to his own devices, Kylo would continue to spiral downward until he hit rock bottom, and there was no telling whether he'd survive that fall or not. 

I snatched the beer from his hand, and started to pour it down the sink as I answered, "Not happening, brother. No more alcohol for you tonight."

I'd keep my word because Kylo was nowhere near ready to step back into his old life. In fact, doing so might completely destroy him right now. But I'd be damned if I was going to let him down without fighting for him first. Kylo had just given me a ray of hope. He was _angry,_ and I hadn't seen that emotion from him in a very long time. Before, all I'd seen was apathy. I'd take his outrage over his indifference any time.

In fact, I welcomed it, and I'd be more than happy to do everything in my power to irritate the hell out of him in the future if that's what it took to see some kind of emotion from him.

Maybe my biggest mistake had been leaving him alone in the first place. I didn't regret giving him his space and privacy from other people. He _did_ need that right now. But maybe I shouldn't have backed off, even though he'd requested that, too. I'd empathized from a distance for two very long years. I'd probably given _too much_ space from _me_ to screw up his life when he hadn't been thinking straight. 

I tossed the bottle I'd emptied into the trash can. "From now on, no more drunken orgies, setup or not. No more alcohol until you can handle it. No more hanging out with people who just want to party and don't give a damn about you. You don't need another beer; you need to get help. It's time to get your head on straight, Kylo, and start acting like an adult instead of a spoiled-rotten adolescent." 

It wasn't easy for me to say that because I knew what my brother had been through, or at least, I knew the basics of it. But he wasn't helping himself at all, and most likely wouldn't if somebody didn't step in. 

And I _was_ that somebody. It would be better to gain his hatred than to see him end up dead in a gutter somewhere. 

"Who the fuck made _you_ my boss, Ben? You can't tell me what to do. I'll live my life exactly the way that _I_ want." His voice was dripping with acrimony as he fisted my linen shirt like he meant to threaten me. 

Again, his irritated tone did nothing except encourage me even further. "I'd be interested to see how that all works out for you since you practically gave me the power of attorney to handle _everything_ , so you'll need _my_ approval to transfer funds into your bank account. Judging by the amount I last deposited you, I'd say you're going to be running low very shortly. Which is really too bad because I've just decided you're cut off until you get yourself sober and at least presentable again." 

I almost hated myself for threatening the brother who should be my partner with poverty, especially when he was entitled to half of Solo International's wealth. I let the considerable guilt I felt come over me, but not break me.

Kylo gripped my shirt even harder and tried to shake me, but he didn't have the strength to move me very far in his intoxicated state. "You can't do that, Ben. I'm a Solo, too. You can't just take everything."

Remorse continued to claw at me, but I shrugged it off. "I can and I will. You gave me that right when you wanted to disappear from the public eye. You signed over all your responsibilities to me two years ago. Pull yourself together, and we'll talk. You look like fucking shit." 

Kylo's eyes lit with fury, his usual icy stare completely gone as he pulled his arm back in what I knew was going to be the first punch ever thrown between the two of us. _Not today, brother. Not today._ He was shirtless, dressed only in swim trunks, so I gripped his shoulders and heaved before he could land a single hit on me, sending him hurtling into the swimming pool.

I folded my arms over my chest as I watched him come to the surface, making sire the idiot wasn't drunk enough to drown. "Meet me for breakfast in the morning, and make sure that you're sober this time," I instructed.

Kylo spluttered. "I swear, I'll beat the crap out of you for this, Ben."

I grinned back at him as I said, "Try it, fucker."

If he ever got sober and balanced enough to throw a real punch, I'd probably be fucking ecstatic. I slowly turned and left the pool area. Maybe I couldn't _make_ Kylo pull himself together, but I could certainly make him uncomfortable enough to try. 


	10. Chapter 10

"I picked up your usual, hope you don't mind," Kaydel said as she breezed through the door to my office with a couple of food bags in her arms.

My eyes raised to the clock hanging on the wall. "Wow! It _is_ lunchtime already." I was surprised at how fast the morning had flown by. 

I'd had a lot of work back up while I'd been in New York, so I hadn't even paused to look at the clock after I'd gotten into the office this morning. 

"You've been pretty quiet in here today." Kaydel pulled the soup and sandwiches from the bags. "You're still not upset over the whole Benjamin Solo thing, right? I mean, he's a jerk, and it was just a stupid kiss."

I looked up at her and frowned. _Okay. Yeah._ It _was_ just a stupid kiss, and I couldn't think of a way to explain just how _intimate_ that embrace had been between the two of us. "I'm good, Kay. I was just trying to get my email caught up and some proposals done."

Kaydel immediately shot me a puzzled look. "You know you don't _have_ to do any proposals, right? You own the bloody business. You can leave that to the rest of us."

"Mum did some of her own proposals," I argued. "And I feel like I need to know every part of this business to be able to lead everyone else." 

How could I be in control of a business I knew nothing about? Kaydel dropped my lunch in front me, grabbed her own soup, and plopped down in a chair in front of my desk. Even though she'd just made a food run outside in the heat, my best friend still looked fresh as she'd appeared first thing this morning. Her makeup was perfect, covering every freckle she'd abhorred since childhood. 

Kaydel had gotten teased in grade school about her endless freckles, bright-blonde pigtails, and her willingness to take on anything that a boy could do. 

That tough girl had blossomed into a beautiful blonde woman with more confidence in her little finger than I had in my entire body. "Your mother loved doing proposals, which is why she did some herself," Kaydel pointed out. "She didn't _need_ to be that hands-on either. And since you don't exactly enjoy doing proposals, neither do you. Rey, you're allowed to be who you are. You don't need to be your mother. You're the boss now, which means you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Just because you're keeping your Mum's business, it doesn't mean you can't put your own spin on it, and do things _your_ way." 

I pulled the lid off what I already knew was a minestrone soup. I'd caught the mouthwatering aroma before Kaydel had pulled the food out of the bag. "I've been doing this for a year, and I still feel lost," I confessed.

Kaydel lifted a brow. "Did you really expect to be perfect in just a year? You were a corporate attorney, not a PR expert."

"I don't think I really knew what to expect. I just wanted to keep my Mum's company alive." 

I'd been thinking with a broken, grieving heart when I'd impulsively packed up my stuff and moved back to London. 

"And you've done that, quite successfully I might add," Kaydel answered. "Give yourself a break, Rey. The company is still thriving and it has so much potential for future growth."

I quickly shot her a doubtful look. KCM was flourishing as a result of my employees like Kaydel, not because of my leadership. "Sometimes I wonder if I should have sold and stayed in my corporate law job, though."

I'd never actually said those words out loud before, but I'd thought about it plenty of times over in the last few months. I'd felt so lost with her---she was the glue to everything. One day she felt fine, and the next...she _was_ gone. 

"I think Eve would have been perfectly okay with that," Kaydel answered gently. "In fact, I'm sure she _expected_ it. She was proud of you, Rey, and she'd want you to be happy with whatever you choose to do with your life. If I could, I would have been the first one in line to buy KCM, but I'm not in the position to do that right now. I don't have that kind of cash on me."

I stopped eating, and looked over at Kaydel. "I don't know why you'd even be interested in buying it, Kay." 

Never once had my best friend mentioned that she'd like to actually _own_ an agency herself. In fact, she never stopped talking about how much she loved her job as the director of KCM, and how it allowed her to pursue her personal interests outside of work. 

She shrugged. "I would like to have my own business someday, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. I couldn't have bought KCM anyway, even if I wanted to."

That wasn't _entirely_ true. I owned the business, and Kaydel and I could have worked something out if we needed to. We _still_ could, in fact. Nobody was more qualified to step into my mother's role than Kaydel. After her short marriage, my best friend had come back to London to work for my mother. Kaydel had fallen in love with the PR business life, and had worked to complete her college degree while she'd worked beside Mum.

KCM was probably never going to make me outrageously wealthy unless we expanded significantly, but it was a profitable company that made me a good living right now. Realistically, Kaydel probably couldn't afford to buy the entire company right now, but we could have come to some kind of understanding. 

Because of my mother's hard work, and the scholarships I'd been awarded, I'd gotten all the way through law-school without a single student loan.

I'd been making a good living as a corporate attorney. The last thing I'd needed was income from KCM. Granted, I hadn't wanted to see KCM to a complete _stranger,_ but I could have let it go to _Kaydel._ My mother had adored her, treated her like a second daughter. 

"I'm sorry, Kay," I said sincerely. "I should have thought of a way to bring you into the ownership. I had no idea that you wanted that, or I would have done it for sure."

Her eyes widened. "What? No! Why would you do that?"

I sighed. "Because you loved her, too, and you belong here more than I do."

She shook her head. "Don't be silly, Rey. You were her daughter."

"She loved you too," I said softly. 

She smiled. "I know that. Your Mum was always there for me, even when we were kids. But she sure as hell didn't expect me to take the business away from her only child. I'm very happy with my job, Rey. I make a great salary plus bonuses. I'm saving. I have plenty of time to see out my own company when I'm ready. I'm perfectly content exactly where I am right now."

I eyed her skeptically one last time before I started eating again, thinking about how we could revisit the idea of her taking over KCM in the near future. 

"I wasn't exactly levelheaded when Mum died," I told Kaydel ruefully. 

Normally, I was far from impulsive, but I'd nearly lost my mind when my only parent had died. Honestly, I was still grieving Mum, and probably would for the rest of my life. Her death had left a big, dark hole in my world that nobody could ever fill up again. Yeah, the excruciating pain of losing her had dulled, but there wasn't a single day that went by that I didn't miss her. 

Kaydel nodded. "That's to be expected, Rey. You were her only child, and she was your only parent. You guy were really tight." 

"We were," I agreed. 

If I'd only known what was going to happen in the future, I would have spent more time in London as an adult. I could have practiced corporate law in Wales, but my mother had encouraged me to apply to one of the most prestigious law firms in London. She'd fought her battle with cancer alone so I wouldn't feel like I _had_ to come back to London, not telling me about her diagnosis until she knew she was going to lost that fight. 

I sighed. I couldn't have a do-over. Regrets wouldn't bring her back. And if I'd done everything differently, I wouldn't have the memories of all the times Mum used to come to London to see me.

We'd traveled from Surrey to Wales to London. Every time she came to London, we found a new place to visit, a new grand adventure. Those road trips had been some of the happiest times of my entire life. 

"I know time is supposed to make her death easier, but it hasn't taken away on how much I miss her," I admitted to Kaydel.

Maybe the acute pain was gone, but the ache and emptiness were almost just as bad. Kaydel shot me a empathetic look. "It hasn't been that long, Rey. She was your mum, and your only immediate family. It's just going to take some time."

I nodded. "I know."

"How about we grab Rose and do a girl's weekend soon?" Kaydel suggested.

Okay, so maybe it wouldn't exactly be a road trip, but spending time with my two best friends was always an adventure to look forward, too. 

I smiled at her. "I'm game. As long as we stay away from the clubs, and you promise _not_ to drink tequila. The last time we all went out, you were literally _dancing_ on the bloody bar counter." 

Rose and I had slowly talked Kaydel down from the bar top, and gotten her home to her bed. None of us had ever suggested going to a nightclub ever again. Honestly, it wasn't like I didn't know that Kaydel was way beyond that kind of behavior _now._ That incident had happened soon after she'd become single again, and she hadn't been in a good place back then. 

Kaydel scoffed. "It was just _one time._ I got in the bar one single bloody time, and you're never going to let me forget it, are you? It was a decade ago, Rey."

"Nope. I _won't_ stop talking about it," I agreed. "If _I'd_ done something like that, you'd be reminding me of it on a daily basis for the rest of my life. Admit it. You'd love to have something like that to tease me about forever." 

Kaydel smirked. "You're probably right. It kind of sucks that you've never done anything even remotely inappropriate before. Well, except for kissing a total stranger on a airplane," she reminded me. "And believe me, I'll never stop giving you a hard time about that one since it's literally the _only_ dirt that I have on you." 

"I know," I said with a chuckle. "But again, I was under the influence at the time, just like you were a decade ago."

She rolled up the empty wrapper from her sandwich. "So are you _really_ feeling better about kissing Mr. Orgasm? I know you, Rey. Are you telling me the truth when you're insisting that you've just blown the whole thing off?" 

"No." I said immediately. _Dammit!_ Kaydel did know me way too well. "You're right about the kiss just being a stupid kiss, but I feel like an idiot when I think about the way he was trying to console me about bombing the presentation with _his_ damn company. What kind of guy does that sort of thing?"

"Let's see," Kaydel pondered. "I'd say he's either really sick and twisted or really desperate. He's either a psycho who enjoys sick little mind games, OR...he really liked you and didn't want you to know it was his company that gave you the we'll-call-you-later brush-off." 

I preferred the second complication. "Are you certain the guy you saw getting into that car at the airport was Benjamin Solo?"

She raised her eyebrows at me. "Rey Kenobi, don't try to tell me that you didn't look up that picture for yourself last night."

I had, and she knew it, too. "Maybe the guy has a doppelgänger or a twin or something?"

Hell, maybe I was grasping for straws here, but I didn't want the man I'd shared an intimate kiss with to be the owner of Solo International. For me, that kiss had been real...

"Right. And that same said _doppelgänger_ just happens to be named Benjamin, too?" Kaydel asked wryly. 

"Okay. It _was_ him," I conceded. I had found the scandalous picture of him, and the more serious picture of him on the Solo International website. "But why in the hell would he be taking a flight in business class on his own airline, for God's sake? He must have a private jet or two." 

"It's definitely weird," Kaydel agreed. "But what if he really did like you, and then _couldn't_ reveal who he really was? It would completely explain why he never asked for your number. The truth would have come out eventually." 

I rolled my eyes. For a woman who had experienced her fair share of heartache, Kaydel could still be the eternal optimist. I let out a groan of mortification before I finally said, "I wouldn't have kissed him if I'd known his true identity from the start."

Ben had made me feel special, and it did hurt to know that the entire encounter that I'd had with him had been nothing more than just a game to him. 

"Exactly!" Kaydel exclaimed as she wriggled her eyebrows. "He didn't even fess up because he _wanted_ to kiss you. Maybe, just maybe he wasn't messing with you at all, Rey. Maybe he isn't a complete narcissitic asshole. I can tell you from personal experience that things aren't always how they seem. When someone is out of their mind from alcohol, sometimes shit just...happens, plain and simple." 

I tossed the trash from my lunch into the garbage can, and crossed my arms as I watched my best friend try to make something out of...nothing. "He wasn't intoxicated on that flight." 

"But he definitely was in that naughty picture," she said. "Sometimes, people do really stupid things when they're drunk that they'd never do when they are sober. Honestly, he was so glassy-eyed in that picture that I'm not even sure if he was capable of getting it up. I'm not saying that you should forget all about the whole orgy thing, but maybe you need to hear his side of the story." 

Really, I love Kaydel dearly for not wanting me to feel like a fool, but there was no saving Benjamin Solo. He was a liar. 

He _had_ to be twisted to play that stupid game with me on our flight. He _was_ the type of who indulged in orgies and most likely had multiple female partners. Lastly, Ben was exactly the type of man I'd run from like my arse was on fire if I'd known who he really was _before_ I'd kissed him. Maybe I had been tipsy, but I couldn't blame _that damn kiss_ completely on the alcohol. Even after the alcohol had worn off the next morning, I'd _still_ been just as attracted to him as I'd been the night before. 

"Give it up, Kay," I urged. "You can't just save Ben Solo. Nothing you say is going to convince me that he isn't a complete jerk."

A deep baritone voice suddenly sounded from the doorway. "I'm _definitely_ an asshole, but I'm hoping that I can change your opinion of me, eventually, Rey."

I didn't have to shift my eyes to my open office door to know _exactly_ who was standing there. I could _feel_ his very presence, and even if I couldn't, that damn voice of his, with that sexy American accent was unmistakable.

_What in the world was Benjamin Solo doing at my office? And next, what the hell could he possibly want?_


	11. Chapter 11

Kaydel squeaked as she quickly jumped to her feet, her eyes as wide as saucers. "Mr. Solo?"

Ben gave my best friend as smile that was so charming I wanted to punch him as he said, "Kaydel, I presume. Rey mentioned you during some of our conversations." He held out a greeting hand towards her.

Kaydel nodded as she shook it, her expression still a little stunned. "What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously. 

"I wanted to have a quick word with Rey," he answered amiably. 

I quickly stood up. "I don't think we have a single thing left to talk about, _Mr. Solo."_

I hated the fact that I couldn't control my reaction to seeing Ben again. My heart tripped, and my _body_ instantly responded to raw sensuality, while all my brain wanted me to do was kick him square in the balls. 

Ben moved past Kaydel once he'd dropped her hand, and stopped right in front of me. "Just give me five minutes to explain, Rey."

 _Ha!_ That request had sounded more like a demand to me, and I wasn't about to give Benjamin Solo anything he commanded. He sure as hell wasn't _my_ boss. _Thank God for that!_ I immediately shook my head, trying not to let him know that his actions on our flight had gotten to me.

"You had over twelve hours to tell me truth and you didn't."

"It's...complicated," he said. 

Kaydel interrupted in a cheerful voice that I knew was completely faked. "Well, while you two talk I'll be right next door in my office if you need me." She walked to the door before pausing briefly. "And I mean, _right next door,_ " she added in a warning voice to Ben. "Like...my office _shares a wall with this one, if you know what I mean."_

Ben nodded. "Message understood. Rey is safe with me, Kaydel. I just want to talk."

"She'd better be for your sake," Kaydel barked at Ben as she left and closed the door behind her.

An oppressive silence filled the room the second she was gone, and then tension was so thick between Ben and me that it was almost unbearable. I glared up at him, but there was a stubborn determination in his gorgeous dark eyes that made me completely aware that he wasn't leaving he'd said what he wanted to say. 

"Just say your piece and then leave, Ben," I said, resigned. Listening to him was apparently the fastest way to get this man out of my office, and I really, really needed him to go. I looked up at the clock hanging on the wall and began to time it mentally. "Your five minutes is ticking down as of right now."

His sexy chocolate-brown gaze met mine as he said, "First and foremost, you're right. I should have told you the truth, but as soon as I found out that Solo International was the source of your unhappiness, the last thing that I wanted to do was admit that I was the head of the company. I doubt you ever would have uttered another word to me, and rightfully so. I should have been at the meeting, Rey, but something happened---"

"Something _happened?"_ I interrupted indignantly. "I know what _happened,_ Ben. A front-page article and a naked orgy picture were more than enough to tell the story of what you'd been up to until the wee hours of the bloody morning. I very much doubt you were in any condition to attend a morning meeting." 

His facial expression was a grim one. "Yes. That's why I wasn't there." 

Ben didn't attempt to explain any further and as far as I was concerned, he didn't need to. A picture was worth a thousand words, especially on the front page. I crossed my arms over my chest defensively, doing my best to act like I didn't give a damn what he did.

"Why were you taking flight in the business section of your own airline?"

He shrugged his massive shoulders. "What better way to get a passenger experience? I like to know how my customers feel when they're taking Transatlantic, and what changes we need to make to be better than our competition."

I wasn't about to tell him that I found...refreshing. There probably weren't very many billionaires who gave a shit about how their companies were run, as long as the bottom line was in the black. 

"Why even bother talking to me at all? Why bother to kiss me? Are you sick and twisted? Was that entire flight just a game for you to play to pass the time?"

"Of course not. I usually mind my own business when I'm doing a test flight, but I wanted to talk to you, Rey. And yes, I wanted that _damn kiss,_ I'm not going to lie here."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Why?"

Ben raked a hand through his perfect hair like he was frustrated. "Because you're the most captivating woman I've ever met. You're beautiful. You're intelligent. Easy to talk to. You were the one woman I couldn't possibly ignore, Rey, and to be completely honest with you, I have no fucking idea _why."_

His voice sounded so sincere. But I knew better than that. I didn't believe a single word that was coming out of his mouth. If I did, I'd probably have to admit that I'd felt the same weird attraction he had, and I _didn't_ want to go there right now. His eyes were intense, a dark, swirling pool of emotions. I had to give it to Ben--he was an excellent actor. I almost believe that a little of his chagrin might be...real. _Almost._

I forced my gaze away from him and looked up at the clock. _Shit!_ He still had a little more time to spill his guts. I turned my eyes back in his direction. Ben was dressed more casually today in a pair of black jeans an a matching black T-shirt that was slim fitting. 

I didn't want to admit that the casual style made him seem much more...approachable. "Why are you here, Ben?" I asked bluntly.

"I had to see you, Rey. At first, I thought it would be better to let it go, but I don't think that's true anymore. I wanted your number. I wanted to ask you out to dinner. I was just too cowardly to tell you the truth because I was pretty sure you'd end up hating me for it."

He reached out a hand, as though he wanted to touch me, but I stepped back before he could even make contact. "Don't touch me," I said in a warning tone. "Look, you've said what you wanted to say. What else do you want from me? Your five minutes is almost up."

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" he asked in a husky tone.

"No!" I said hastily. "Just forget it. Just get out of my office. God, did you really think you could just apologize, and that I'd fall all over you just because you're Benjamin Solo?"

He shrugged. "Most women do."

Oh, I'm sure they did. Strangely, I didn't detect a hint of arrogance in his comment. He sounded more like having women fall all over him because he was one of the richest guys in the world was just a that...a fact. 

"Well, I'm _not_ most women," I told him firmly. "Believe it or not, Solo, I actually have to _like_ a guy to go out with him. And I _don't_ like you. Now just...go." 

I hated the way my heart was racing, and how damn hard it was to keep up my indifferent façade. "Not so fast," he said smoothly. "There's one other issue I'd like to discuss with you, Rey."

"I think I'm done here," I snapped, my hostility rising. 

I was thoroughly pissed off at myself because even though I _knew_ he was a man-whore and a complete liar, my body _still_ wanted him. My involuntary reactions to Ben were hard to control, and that was something my rational mind just didn't understand. How could I want this man to fuck me when I didn't even like him?

Ben ignored my curt dismissal. "You were right about everything you said about Solo International, though," he said in a more businesslike voice. "We _do_ need a good crisis management agency right now. Social media is having a damn field day with the article and the photo, and that's something my marketing team has never had to deal with in the past. We're seeing more pushback from the public than I'd ever imagine. We do need a specialist." 

I couldn't hold back on my sarcasm as I retorted, "Maybe you wouldn't need a crisis management if you could keep your damn pants on when you're in front of a camera." 

Ben's lips twitched like he wanted to smile. "You looked up the photo and the article then, I assume."

 _Busted!_ "Strictly for business reasons only," I explained hastily. "I wanted to see the scandal that screwed me on my presentation."

"The whole story was a setup," he said, frowning. "A trap to make Solo International look bad, probably by a competitor."

I scoffed. "Seriously? Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"No. Not now. But if we're working together, maybe you will someday."

"That would be impossible since I don't plan on taking on your company." 

Did he really think he could hire me, and it would make what he did all right? His brow furrowed as he studied my face. "Rey, it would be a ridiculous business move to pass on Solo International. It would be a huge account for you, and it would definitely open the door for a lot more international clients for you in the future."

 _Dammit!_ I hated the fact that every single word that he said was...true. 

"I don't care about the money," I said defensively. "I have to be able to work with every client, and I simply can't work with you."

The guy was arrogant and presumptuous, not to mention the fact that he'd already lied to me once already, and I had no idea whether he'd do so again if we were working together.

"You _can_ work with me," he told me, his voice rather persuasive. "Don't turn down this opportunity, Rey. You'll only hate yourself for it later."

I was silent as I thought about what he'd just said. Would I hate myself later for making a big decision like this based on emotion alone instead of reasoning? I'd desperately wanted to secure Solo International as a client, not only because they'd be a huge account, but also because of the doors it would open for KCM to branch out into the US and other American markets.

 _My employees_ had kept this business booming after my mother's death. I felt like I owed all of them a decision that was made with a clear mind and not based on emotion alone. 

"I suppose I should take some time to consider it," I told him reluctantly. "Are you sure you'll be able to stifle the urge to throw another orgy while I think about it?"

He grinned at me. "I think I can contain myself." 

His smile made me so breathless I couldn't say a word. _Dammit!_ I really hated the way I could still want this man, even though I knew what an asshole he really was. 

I really needed to get Benjamin Solo out of my office. "Then I'll consider it," I said with absolutely no enthusiasm.

Thank God I managed to resist the urge to get in another insult, though. I was showing my cards every single time I let him know he could irritate me. Solo International was one of the largest and most successful corporations in the world, and Ben hadn't stayed in that position without being a master at manipulation and an excellent game player. 

~*****~

I refused to be one of his pawns, but how could I not take some time to think about something that could mean so much to the future of my mother's beloved company? This opportunity wasn't just about _me._

If it was, I could have easily told him to go fuck himself. But I had employees to think about here, and a business that needed to grow in the future. My decisions directly affected the people who worked for KCM, and their job security. What if I _could_ use Benjamin Solo to further my business interests? He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a business card.

"Don't take too long to decide," he suggested. "The situation is out of control already." 

My PR mind kicked in as I asked. "What kind of damage control are you doing right now?"

He shrugged. "The PR department is mostly punting questions at this point, hoping secretly that it will die down. We've never had something like this happen before."

I let go of a sigh. "I told you that you needed to get _in front_ of it. If this has really blown up on social media, avoidance is only going to make it worse. Have you made a statement to the public yet?"

"Not yet."

"Well, then get on social media and make it very clear that you were set up, but also take total responsibility for putting yourself in a bad position in the first place. I'm assuming all this started in a bar or a nightclub?"

My heart ached when he nodded slowly. Part of me still didn't want to believe the Ben I'd gotten to know on the plane had been so out of his mind on alcohol that he'd allowed himself to end up in this situation. Was he trying to reform?

"Stay away from the club scene in New York," I suggested tersely. "There are usually reporters around who are trying to catch celebrities misbehaving in some of the posher nightclubs." 

He held up a hand. "I'm here on business only. I wasn't exactly planning on setting the whole of London on fire."

Honestly, I couldn't see Ben partying at a swanky club. It just didn't seem like his style. But what the hell did I know? He'd obviously gotten drunk enough to be set up, if this whole thing had ever really been a trap. 

I took his card and tossed it on my desk. "I'll be in touch. I need some time to think about this. If you weren't sincere about wanting to fix all of _this,_ then it could ruin _my_ company's reputation."

I watched as he raked a hand through his hair again. "I do want to fix it. I hate the fact that my family is going to suffer for it. Reporters are already camping out at my mother's home in Long Island, trying to get some kind of statement out of her. She doesn't need this."

"So most of what you told me on the plane is definitely true? Your Mum lives in Long Island at your childhood home?"

"Well, nothing I said was untrue, either," he said. "Although I'm definitely guilty of lying by omission." 

For a moment, I felt bad about his obvious distress over his mother's treatment by the media. If I could trust nothing else about this man, I was pretty damn sure his agitation about the press hounding his mum was completely sincere.

"They'll go away eventually," I said quietly. "There's always going to be another story ten-times more scandalous than yours. It's just really uncomfortable while you're in the hot seat waiting for that to happen."

He nodded sharply. "Don't get me wrong here, my Mom is a very strong woman, but she's been through a lot, and our family reputation means a lot to her. Like I said, nothing I told you on the plan was a lie, really. My mother was born in New York, and she my father while she was in college. She came from a humble background, and she turned herself inside out to be accepted by the social elite once she married my father. She said she never wanted him to regret that he'd married beneath himself." 

I surveyed his expression as I asked, "Did he marry beneath himself?"

He shook his head. "Hell, no. My father never ever felt that way. Ever. He loved my mother, and he didn't care what the gossips said. To him she was like....like his princess, his queen. It was my mother who felt like she wasn't good enough to enter the Solo empire. She even cultivated to his lifestyle, so nobody was reminded of her origins. My father thought it was all ridiculous that she worried so much about appearances. But I think she was traumatized after her first meeting with meeting his parents."

"Wouldn't anyone be nervous about meeting their significant other's parents?" I asked.

"You don't understand, my grandparents were practically considered royalty in their day. They were some of the the wealthiest people in all of New York; practically tycoons."

"That explains the all of the money you've inherited," I said. 

"Well, of course," he said nonchalantly. "Technically, my father was the son of a steel tycoon. It's not the same as a King or Queen title, but we're well acquainted with peerage."

I moved to my desk and sat down in my chair, trying not to hyperventilate. Dear God! No wonder Ben's mother had felt like his father had married beneath himself. I could only imagine what her struggles had been in trying to find a place in such a powerful family. 

I looked up at him as I said breathlessly, "So doesn't that technically make _you_ the next steel tycoon?" 

He looked disgusted as he answered tersely, "Yes. But I rarely ever use the title unless I'm at an important event. My father didn't put much importance on something he'd simply inherited, and I don't, either. I'd rather be known for my business acumen that for a title/position that I never earned. I was born to privilege, and I inherited a heavy fortune. I'd like to work hard to prove that I'm worthy of _that_ , not some antiquated title." 

I nearly smiled because he was starting to sound like an British. While I didn't believe in advanced status just by a happy accident of birth, I also couldn't deny that the Solo family must carry a lot of weight in America's social circles. 

"And here I thought Americans loved their fancy titles almost as much as the British."

He shrugged. "Some love their traditions, others not so much."

I'd read enough English history to have a basic understanding of the peerage. "So nobody refers to you as _Your Grace_ or _Lord Solo_ for the hell of it?"

He actually looked embarrassed as he admitted, "Occasionally, though I don't encourage it. Not to mention, it's not normally something you here in America, anyway." 

It was strange that Ben seemed to be a lot more comfortable as the billionaire CEO of Solo International than he did with his position of being the heir of an almost royal-like title. 

"So your mother became a sort of heiress when she married your father, and the wife of a billionaire, too. I get why she was intimidated. I'm British, and I'd find meeting the royals pretty daunting and I'm not even royal."

"She put more importance on our title than our father ever did," Ben scoffed. 

Maybe so, but I could _still_ empathize with her. I'd nearly buckled under the stress of having a conference room full of Solo executives staring back at me. I could only imagine how his mother had felt when she'd been under the critical eye of America's aristocratic crowd. 

"I can totally understand why this entire situation upsets her."

He studied my face until it grew almost uncomfortable. "Can you, Rey?"

I nodded. "Give me some time, Ben. I'd really like to help, but please understand that I don't trust you. And I doubt that I ever will." I saw no reason to dance around the truth.

"I'm sorrier about that than you'll ever know," he answered in a low, regretful tone. 

I let out a shaky breath as I answered. "I'll call you tomorrow with an answer. Where are you staying?"

"At the Ritz-Carlton," he informed me. "I took some time to drive around the city. It's really quite beautiful here. A friend of mine has a place there that he's not using at the moment, so he offered it to me for as long as I wanted to stay here. The press around me my residence in London early this morning. So I'll be hiding out in the suite at the Ritz for a while. I doubt the press will find me since this place isn't affiliated with Solo." 

If the UK media had picked up on the story, the social media storm must be crazy right now. "Where exactly are you saying in London?"

His brow furrowed. "The exact address is in the car, but it's on Chandrila Drive. Do you know it?"

I let out a long sigh. Know it? I lusted after those multibillion dollar suites. But they'd always be way out of my price ranges. "Most of them are breathtaking," I informed him. "And directly near Hyde Park."

"I'm on my way back to the suite now. Care to come with me?" His tone was casual, but persuasive. 

I shook my head regretfully. "No. I'll call you tomorrow."

He smiled at me and sauntered toward the door. "I'll look forward to it."

Ben departed without another word, and I sagged back into my hair, relieved that I could finally take a deep breath. Damn him for letting me get to know more about his family, about his mother in particular. I didn't really _need_ another day to know I was going to help Benjamin Solo, but I was going to make him wait to find out my decision. 

I just hoped that I didn't end up regretted it, is all. 


	12. Chapter 12

I settled into my favorite armchair later that afternoon. I'd flung open all of the huge glass-doors to the patio, grabbed my laptop, and planted my ass in a lounge chair with a pint of beer. Strangely, a lot of my dress melted away with the sound of the calm mid-afternoon summer wind, and the relaxing temperatures that made the place feel like a getaway instead of a location where I was currently hiding from the press. I grinned as I watched a flock of birds circling over head.

I'd decided _not_ to tell Rey that this home was actually owned by me personally---well, it was partially owned by my family, though we payed a great sum of the upper suites to the owner of the Ritz-Carlton. I hadn't technically lied to her. Not really.

The owner was _actually_ a dear friend, but Rey had already had more than enough surprises for one day. The last thing I'd wanted was to push her away by mentioning all of my aristocratic acquaintances.

I'd seen her horrified expression already when she learned of my family's past. It wasn't that I _sought out_ that sort of crowd, but it was hard _not_ to know and be friends with some of them since we'd orbited in the same circles growing up. What I'd told her about my family was true, though. I had no use for it, and I certainly didn't encourage anyone to use it. I heard my cell ping with the sound of an incoming message. 

I immediately grabbed it, hoping to hell that it wasn't Kylo again, whining about being trapped inside the Ritz residence because he was surrounded by the media. 

As requested, Kylo _had_ met me at breakfast this morning, before our home had been attacked by a whole mob of British reporters. He'd been sullen, but sober at least. What choice did he have when I controlled all the money? 

He'd been born outrageously wealthy. It wasn't like he had any idea how to live on a budget or anything. 

One quick glance told me that it wasn't a text from Kylo at all, and I smirked after reading the text message that was clearly from Rey instead. 

_**Rey:** If I do this thing, I want you to know that I'm doing it for your mother. Not you. _

I chuckled. Now that she knew exactly who I was, Rey still didn't have any problem giving me hell. She had no idea how fascinating that made her to me as a woman. Rey treated me like any other guy who'd pissed her off, and she had no way of knowing just how...alive, how damn real I felt because of it. 

_**Ben:** I was under the impression that you'd do it for KCM. Not for me, anyways or was I misreading you?_

_**Rey:** Yeah. That too. But I want you to know this is definitely not about you._

Like I didn't get that enough already? Her gorgeous hazel-green eyes had been shooting daggers at me back in her office. If those blades had been real; I'd be dead by now. 

_**Ben:** I'll take you anyway that I can get you, Rey._

Could I find another fixer, another company who could jump into the fray to salvage the Solo reputation? _Definitely._ For sure. Not even a question. But the truth here was, I didn't want another company. I wanted _her._ I wanted _Rey Kenobi._ I was starting to feel more like a damn stalker than a man who needed help with his company, but I hadn't been able to control my instincts to find her today, even though I'd known she'd probably hate me. 

That whole I'll-forget-all-about-her-once-we-go-our-separate-ways bullshit wasn't working for me. I was going to have to find a way to get Rey Kenobi into my bed.

Maybe once I'd had her, once I'd finally buried myself inside her and felt her shudder into the massive orgasm she'd never had before, my desire to find her wherever she went would go the fuck away.

_**Rey:** You wouldn't have me. You'd have my job skills. Everything would have to stay strictly business. _

_**Ben:** Agreed._

I wasn't consenting to keep my distance from her forever. Just until she could trust me, and we could negotiate on those terms whenever we came to that bridge. I didn't mind going the distance in order to please her, if she didn't.

_**Rey:** I'm not even going to pretend like I fully understand that damn kiss on the plan, but I can say this, it can't happen again._

_**Ben:** Is it really so hard for you to admit that there's some kind of dynamic attraction between the two of us, Rey?_

_**Rey:** Yes. No, Oh, God, I don't know. I really want to hate you. I feel like a complete idiot because I let you play me like a bloody fiddle on that airplane._

_**Ben:** But I wasn't playing you at all. I think you know the attraction between us is quite genuine. Any you could never hate me any more than I already hate myself for hurting you. _

_**Rey:** I wasn't hurt. Not really. And how could I be? I hardly even know you. I just feel silly. _

But I had hurt her. I could tell and I wasn't exactly sure how I knew that, but I knew deep down that it was true. 

_**Ben:** Don't, Rey. I thought we agreed not to regret any of it._

_**Rey:** That was before I knew that you were Benjamin Solo and a man-whore_

_**Ben:** Which was worse, me being Benjamin Solo or me being a man-whore?_

I definitely couldn't change that fact that I was Benjamin Solo, but I might be able to eventually convince her that I was _not_ a man-whore who got drunk until I was out of my mind and made having sex into one big party. 

_**Rey:** Being Benjamin Solo, I think._

Okay, then I _was_ well and truly fucked---she believed everything the papers said about me--- _or_ about _my_ brother, Kylo who was a damn drunk as well as a totally fucking moron and a man-whore.

_**Ben:** Why?_

_**Rey:** Because I poured my heart out to you, Ben. I sat right there and told you all about my presentation. And then I even told you about my sex life. I told you almost everything about myself, and you told me nothing except a few facts. Do you really think I go around sharing my entire life with everybody or even complete strangers that I just happen to meet?_

_**Ben:** No. I know you don't. But would you have told me all that if you'd known that I was Benjamin Solo almost from the start?_

I quickly got nervous when I didn't get an immediate answer back from her. Finally, after a few moments of silence she texted me back.

_**Rey:** I don't know. Other than the whole creepy reading my texts behavior, and that bossy thing you do, I kind of liked you. I'm not sure how I would have felt if I'd known who you were from the start because our conversation didn't start out that way, now did it? _

_**Ben:** I'm sorry, Rey. I should have told you. Can we just start over? A fresh start? A clean slate between us? Hello, Rey. I'm Benjamin Solo, CEO of Solo International. Yes, I realize that whole orgy situation doesn't look good or paint my image in an exactly good light, but do you think you could hold off on making any judgements until you actually get to know me? My cock has been painfully hard since I saw you sitting in the seat beside me, and I'd very much like to fuck you until you're screaming my name in the throes of passion and of your first real orgasm while having sex with a guy._

_**Rey:** Okay, now you're just being nonsensical and downright disgusting._

_**Ben:** Well, did it make you laugh at least?_

_**Rey:** Yes._

_**Ben:** Good. I would have said that though if I could have, nonsensical or downright disgusting or not. It's the absolute truth._

_**Rey:** You really have to stop saying those things to me if we end up working together! You did say that it would be business only. _

_**Ben:** You haven't said yes to my offer yet, so we're technically not working together. Does that mean that you've made up your mind to take on Solo International?"_

_**Rey:** No, it does not. I'll call you tomorrow morning._

_Fuck!_ I really didn't want to wait till tomorrow---my brain nor my throbbing, aching cock didn't think it could handle a nearly twenty-four hour wait to hear back from her. I needed an answer, and I needed it one now. 

_**Ben:** Let me call you. Are you still in your office? Maybe we could have dinner together. A business dinner, of course._

_**Rey:** Yes, I'm still at my office, but I'm getting ready to leave now and no, I already have plans for tonight._

_**Ben:** A date?_

It was Friday night, so it made perfect sense that she might actually have a date. With another guy. A make who might actually...touch her, kiss her....and maybe _even_ fuck her. Oh, hell-to-the-fucking-no! Not on _my_ fucking watch!

_**Rey:** I guess you could call it that. Look, I'll seriously think about taking on Solo International and call you tomorrow morning._

_Jesus Christ!_ Did she really think that I was just going to go on with my night and not think about her out on a date with somebody who was...well, me? My voice of reason suddenly reared it's ugly head:

_Of course she thinks you'll go on with your night without thinking about her. She doesn't believe you're even attracted to her, and even if she did, the woman thinks you're a man-whore and a liar. Pull your ass together, Solo. You had one amazing kiss, and that could very well be all you've ever get from her. It's none of your damn business if she's got a date. There's no reason it should ever bother you. It's not like she's yours. So get a damn grip man!_

I took a deep breath, and tried to listen to that rational voice, even though I hated that little fucking bastard.

_**Ben:** Rey?_

_**Rey:** Yes, Ben?_

_**Ben:** Just be careful, and call me early, okay?_

_**Rey:** Say around 8 am?_

I wanted to tell her so badly to call me when she got home from her damn date because I knew that I wouldn't be sleeping until I knew for certain that she was safe. I _needed_ her to be safe. 

_**Ben:** Sounds fine._

_**Rey:** Have a goodnight, Benjamin._

I then tossed my phone back onto the table, closed my eyes, and beat my head back against the back of the lounger several times.

_What in the fuck am I doing? I've never had a single jealous, possessive, or envious thought in my entire life, even with all the females I've dated and fucked. I'm Benjamin-Fucking-Solo, CEO and owner of one of the biggest, richest, and most powerful corporations in the world. I don't have time to sit around waiting for some female who makes my cock harder than hell to call me. I'm a very serious businessman who needs to concentrate on his work that's been piling up for the last two days while I've been trying to figure out how to get Rey Kenobi into my bed and to keep her there._

I took a deep breath and let it out before I muttered, "I just need to get her into my bed and all of this shit will go away. It has to. I just want my goddamn brain back."

I didn't really need my voice of reason to know what I was being highly irrational. I knew it. But when it came to Rey, some idiotic primitive instinct I never knew I had completely overrode my damn logic. _My obsession with Rey Kenobi has to end and it has to end...now._

I grabbed my laptop, opened it, and got to work, trying like hell to block out everything else from my mind. 


	13. Chapter 13

"So you're really going to do it" Kaydel asked.

"I think you should," Rose chimed in.

I stretched out on my beach towel as I took in appreciative sip of the tea we'd stopped on our way into London. Kaydel, Rose, and I spent almost every single Friday night in the same way. We stopped at our favorite restaurant shop for a to-to tea right after work, and took back to my place. We liked to call it a standing date for the three of us as long as nobody had other plans made. I smiled at the two women who had been my best friends since grade school. All three of us were so different, but it hadn't stopped us from being like sisters from the start.

"Is it really so hard to believe that I actually want to expand KCM to go international?" I asked them. 

Kaydel shook her head as she stretched out on her own side of the couch. "Nooo. But this isn't just any international account we're talking about here, and you know it. It's Solo International. You had an interlude with the man who heads the company. A guy who got himself into this mess by being photographed during one of his orgies."

"He swears that it was all a setup," I informed both of them. 

Rose had been caught up on the whole Mr. Orgasm situation by Kaydel on our way back to my flat. 

"And maybe it was," Rose considered. "He's incredibly rich. Obviously, he has competitors who want him to look bad or something."

"Or maybe it wasn't, and he really is just an fucking arse," Kaydel answered with an unusual amount of skepticism in her voice. "Yeah. Sure. I'd really _like_ to think he's on the up-and-up, but maybe he's just a shank man-whore. I don't think we ran rule out that possibility just yet, don't you?"

I shot her a surprised glance. "And what happened to your whole optimism about him, Kay? What happened to the Kaydel who wanted me to give him the benefit of the doubt?"

"Oh, God," she moaned. "I'm so torn. I _do_ want you to give him a chance, but I just don't want to see you get hurt."

I shrugged. "It's not like it really matters," I said. "We aren't going into a romantic relationship or anything. It's all strictly business. Even if he _is_ an asshole, my job is to make him look like a good guy in the public eye." 

Kaydel huffed as she flopped onto her side and propped a hand under her head. "Come on, Rey. I saw the way he looked at you when he was in the office today."

"How did he look at her?" Rose asked curiously. 

Kaydel snorted. "Like he was starving for a hot meal, and she was the _only_ item on the lunch menu that he wanted to consume." 

"Are you attracted to him, Rey?" Rose asked guilelessly. 

"Yes," Kaydel answered empathically. 

"Not really," I countered.

Both of them raised their brows as they looked over at me. I caved. These were the two people I trusted completely.

"Okay, fine. I _am_ attracted to him. I mean, how could I not be? The guy is literally physical perfection, and that American accent plays hell with my female hormones, but I know when a man is out of my league. I _can't_ get hurt. I'm going in with my eyes wide open this time, and it's strictly business." 

Kaydel rolled her eyes. "You're _not_ out of his league. It's quite the opposite, actually. He's out of yours. He's a liar and possible man-whore, remember?" 

"You're right," I said with a groan. "I guess the whole story about his mother and finding out that he's practically an American royal aristocrat really got to me today."

Rose's eyes popped wide open. "He's an aristocrat?"

I spent the next few minutes explaining the conversation I'd had with Benjamin earlier in the day. "So part of you is doing this for his mum?" Kaydel asked.

I nodded. "It sounds like she's worked so hard to feel worthy of the Solo family, and she doesn't deserve this." 

I sorely missed my own mother, so maybe I was a sucker for a mum in distress. "Look, I'm not saying that it wouldn't be advantageous, Rey," Kaydel mused. "You want to go international. It would be good for KCM. But not if the bastard breaks your heart in the process."

I let out an exasperated breath. "Benjamin Solo is not going to break my heart."

I just had to make sure that I reminded myself that his looks and charm meant nothing if his personality and morals sucked. 

Kaydel sighed. "I wish he could be the kind of guy who you could just have a fling with if he's really your Mr. Orgasm."

"Is he the one, Rey?" Rose asked.

As I thought about the way Ben made me feel, and _that damn kiss_ , I answered honestly. "Maybe I'm not saying he'd definitely make me fall to pieces sexually, but he made me feel....something that I've never had before." 

Ben had made me feel beautiful. Desirable. Raw, untamed powerful lust that I just wanted to drown myself in. 

"Well, could you see yourself having a fling with him then?" Rose asked. 

_Was_ it even possible that I could do a one-nighter with somebody like Benjamin Solo just to see what it felt like to have sex with a man who really seemed attracted to me? It was such a tempting thought, but I needed to keep my head on straight if I wanted to be his fixer.

"Probably not. I don't want to mix business with pleasure here. Doing this job means too much to KCM." 

"So what's your plan exactly?" Kaydel asked curiously.

"I already told him that he needs to make an official statement to the public," I answered. "And stay away from any further orgies."

Kaydel's facial expression shifted, and I could tell she was thinking about crisis management now. "I think the hoopla here in the UK will die down fairly quickly. The only reason the press here got interested was because it's such a big deal in the USA at the moment. I'd say he'll have to do most of his reforming in the US."

"I think you're right," I agreed. "We Brits can have a short attention span sometimes, especially when it's a story that isn't even happening here. But I doubt that the US is going to be quite as forgiving."

"He's going to need some very carefully _good_ publicity," Kaydel pondered. "You're going to have to go with him to the US."

My stomach clenched in protest, even though I already knew that I was going to _have_ to go back to the US with Ben to fix the situation. "Yeah, I know." 

Kaydel smiled slyly. "Maybe the US needs a fairy-tale romance fit for an rich and sophisticated aristocrat like Ben Solo. Love can change a man, right?"

My heart protested that idea for a moment, but I knew it had to happen. "That was my plan exactly. He needs to find himself a woman with an excellent reputation and no skeletons in her closet, and then be seen treating her like she's the only female in the world for him. Eventually, people will put that whole thing behind them if he can put on a convincing performance." 

"If this is all just for show, then what happens when it's all over?" Rose asked, sounding confused. "It's not like he's going to marry someone just for good publicity."

Kaydel sat up as she answered. "That's where it would come in hand if the woman was British. Eventually, she could just claim to the U.S that Ben could say it was an amicable parting, and he could even be the injured party."

"Fantastic idea," I said. "But where are we going to find this paragon? I don't know of how many British women Benjamin knows, and I'm a little afraid of he ones that might suggest. And really, I don't think this should be an inside job. Even bound by a tight nondisclosure, it's going to be hard for any woman not to talk about this job, or try to make the whole scenario real. Kaydel, who do we have at KCM who could pull this off? It has to be a woman who isn't married, isn't dating anyone, and has a very clean background. And she has to be a believable love interest for Ben."

Rose and Kaydel pinned me with a fixed stare. And I didn't like it one bit. Something in the back of my brain told me exactly where they were taking this, but I didn't want to admit it out loud, at least, not yet that is.

"There's only on woman at KCM who isn't married, isn't dating anyone, and who's that squeaky clean," Kaydel said. "A female who has never had a single fling, or anything remotely questionable in her past. Rey, our staff isn't that big. You and I are the only ones who are the right age and single, and I'll go ahead and tell you right now, I'm sure as hell not doing it. I have some dirt on me that could be dug up if reporters looked hard enough."

Horror immediately flooded me as I then realized what she and Rose were contemplating. My _very_ worst fears. I had been right all along. 

"Oh, no. I'm not going to pose as Benjamin Solo's love interest. Absolutely not. I own his PR agency. People would know it's complete and utter bullshit from the get-go."

Kaydel shook her head. "They'd never have to know that he hired you. You haven't signed an official deal with him yet. You could wait until this whole thing is over to make it legal. Ben would never back out of the deal. The truth would actually be a good backstory. You and Ben met on a plane when he was flying on his own airline. You're a business woman from the United Kingdom who just happened to be sitting next to him. You chatted the entire flight, and fell for each other over morning coffee or something." 

"I don't really like coffee, though," I said in a panicked voice. I really didn't like this idea at all.

"Tea then," Rose answered. "Does it even really matter? You can make it a love story, whether you drank tea or coffee."

"You can do this, Rey," Kaydel encouraged. "You're the ideal woman for him to fall for. There's not a bad word that anybody could say about you. You graduated with high honors from the university, and busted your arse to get through law school. You worked as a corporate attorney until you turned your attention toward the PR business. It's perfect!"

"Do I look like the kind of woman that Benjamin Solo would fall for?" I asked. "Really? I'm overweight---"

"Curvy," Rose insisted. "You're in total great shape, Rey. We've been scuba diving together for years, remember? I know how physically taxing some of those dives were, so don't even go there with me. We're in the water every chance we get. You're shapely, and fit."

"I'm way too tall--"

"Models are tall," Kaydel interrupted. "And Ben's a really tall guy. You could rock some pretty high stilettos and still feel dainty next to him." 

"I wouldn't have a chance in hell of catching Benjamin Solo's roving eye," I said adamantly. "You saw those naked women in his bed. I am _not_ his type at all." 

"Well, I call total bullshit," Rose said emphatically. "You're beautiful, Rey. You've just never seen yourself that way."

Kaydel raised her hand. "I call total bullshit, too. Rose is right. And it's pretty clear to us that Ben's _already_ attracted to you. I really hate it when you sell yourself short just because no man has ever made you feel as gorgeous as you are, Rey. In my opinion, you're way too good for somebody like Benjamin Solo, but you can always pretend that you're slumming it."

"She's absolutely right," Rose confirmed. 

I looked at the two women who had always been my greatest support system for most of my life, and I knew they believed every word they were saying. How could I not adore both of them for seeing me way differently than I saw myself because they loved me dearly? 

"I seriously love you both." I said as I broke into fits of laughter.

I had two very adamant defenders beside me, and had for most of my life. There was no way I couldn't find joy in that, and be pretty damn grateful that these two amazing women would always be my fiercest allies, just like I'd always be theirs. I flopped onto my back, my heart still racing at the idea of playing Ben's love interest.

"I'm still not sure if I can do it," I admitted to them. 

Really, I didn't have a whole lot of choice if I wanted to be completely certain the truth would never come out.

"Of course you can," Kaydel argued. "You've never failed at anything in your life, Rey. This will be a piece of cake."

"I haven't completely decided that I'm the perfect woman to pull this off, though," I warned them. God, there has to be some way to get me out of this situation, right?"

"Well, if you don't believe your two best friends, ask Ben yourself," Kaydel insisted. "I doubt very much if he'd mind you playing the part of his love interest. Maybe I don't completely trust him, but the way he was looking at you at the office today was no lie, Rey. I think he'll convince you that you're absolutely perfect for the part."

I sighed as I remembered that he'd _already_ told me that I was perfect, and I hadn't believed a single word of it. 


	14. Chapter 14

"This place is so amazing." Rey's tone was filled with awe, and her big hazel eyes sparkled as she admired the view from the full-sized balcony patio of my borrowed suite. "It feels like you're steps away from everything and yet still far away." 

All the glass doors were open, and it was a clear, balmy early summer morning in London. When Rey had called me earlier, I'd asked her to meet me here at the hotel since her office was closed on the weekends. I'd also wanted the advantage of having her in my territory in case she'd decided against taking on Solo International as a client. I'd have a better chance of changing her mind if she couldn't just slam her office door in my face.

"Can we sit?" she asked, gesturing toward the lounge hairs on the balcony patio. "Since I'll definitely never own one of these in my lifetime, I'd like to admire the view while I still can."

"Make yourself at home," I insisted. "Can I get you some coffee or maybe you'd like tea better seeing as you're British and all?"

She then held up a supersized to-go iced-tea drink that she'd brought in with her from Starbucks. "I already came prepared. I stopped for my own cup of tea, though, it's not normally how I'd take it, but cold is starting to catch on to this so called Brit girl. I'm not that big on coffee. I've never really understood the American obsessions' with it." 

I gasped my own mug of Starbucks store-bought coffee as I plopped down on a lounger beside her. "How can you not like coffee? There's practically a blend for everybody."

She shrugged. "It's not that I _dislike_ it. But how can it ever be compared to a good-old fashioned brewed English tea?"

Obviously, the poor woman had never had a good cup of coffee before. "Very easily. With coffee, there's a blend for every occasion, and you never run out of new ones to try. Tea is just....tea, no matter what you put in it."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to even try to argue with a coffee-loving American."

I shot her a mock warning glance. "Best not. Never argue with an American about his coffee." 

"Do you ever drink tea?" she asked curiously.

I shook my head firmly. "No. Nasty stuff."

She laughed at the look of disgust on my face, and for some damn reason, all I wanted to do was to keep her laughing. It might sound a little dramatic, but the sound was like music to my soul. _Fuck!_ When in the hell had I gotten the least bit poetic about....anything? Not until... _.her._ I studied Rey, still trying to figure out why she made me so fucking crazy. Her chestnut hair was tied back into a ponytail, and her attired was casual---straight-legged jeans, a lightweight red summer top, and a pair of sandals. 

Nothing different here. It was the way most people dressed in his town during the summer, I assumed. A nice little break from the usual damp, cold and rainy. 

She had a serene smile on her face as she gazed out at the city, and when she turned her head to look at me, that expression turned into a full-fledged grin. My dick was completely hard in seconds, and for some damn reason, there wasn't a single thing I could do but smile widely right back at her. Rey had some kind of inner radiance that spilled out when she was unguarded if that shit wasn't contagious. Maybe I was drawn to the way she could feel so much humor in a single moment. Or the way she'd made me feel alive--again---since the second she'd walked through my door this morning. 

I cleared my throat. "How was the date last night?"

Okay, so maybe I hadn't _quite_ been able to forget about _that._ And dammit! I'd certainly tried. Hard. Nothing had worked. Not even my own voice of reasoning. 

She smiled. "It was good. Rose and Kaydel, and I always have a good time in downtown London on our standing night dates."

I frowned at her. "You had a date with....Kaydel and Rose?"

She nodded. "Yes. Every Friday night. Going to London is a standing date for all three of us unless one of us has a real date or something. We've been doing it ever since I moved back to London."

Okay. I have to admit that I grinned like a damn idiot. Maybe I should be annoyed with myself for jumping to conclusions, but the only thing I could feel was a profound sense of relief. "So that's why you turned down my dinner invitation?"

"No, I'd already told Kaydel and Rose that I was going," she explained.

"No problem." I could be a pretty magnanimous now that I knew that there wasn't a single male at their standing date. "So you like my loaner house?"

She let out a sigh that made my cock twitch. "I've always loved these sort of places in London. How could anyone not want to be right in the heart of the city? The second I feel that cool, summer breeze, not like out in the countryside, I immediately relax. I can't imagine what it would be like to actually live here."

"I thought you did live here."

"In England, yes, bur in London, no. But I live in a medium-sized flat that I inherited from my mother. These homes are outrageously expensive. I make a good living, but no nearly enough for beautiful suite as this." 

"I guess I've never thought about my income not being enough for...anything," I told her. 

She chuckled. "That's probably _not_ something a Solo has to think about, but most of us normal folks have to stick to a budget." 

I considered her comment as I took a swig of my coffee. I'd been a billionaire since I was born. There was never much that was off-limits to me because I lacked the funds. Most of my friends were rich, too, so I had no idea what it was like to stay on any particular budget. I signed my name; I got what I wanted. Period. End of story. 

"I guess that makes me abnormal, then," I said.

She shook her head, and for a moment, I was distracted by the way her chestnut ponytail bounced with that particular action.

"Not abnormal," she corrected. "Being rich and powerful is _your_ idea of normal. It just isn't natural for most of the population."

I loved the way she could just accept the fact that I was obesely wealthy without being enamored by that lifestyle. "So you're happy with your own idea of normal?" I asked.

She thought for a long moment before she answered, "For the most part, yes. I consider myself very lucky. I'm well-educated, and I make a good living. I think it's human nature to want to keep doing better, but money isn't everything. I have a great friends, and I get to spend time doing all the things that I love to do." 

"Such as?" I wanted to know more about her, find out what exactly made _her_ happy. 

"I spend as much time in and on the water as possible," she shared. "I'm certified in scuba diving, so I spend a lot of time under the water. I get out for dives a couple of times a week when I'm not slammed at the agency."

I hadn't expected to hear her say _that._ "So here's a bit of a daredevil beneath your rather gorgeous exterior?" 

"There's something really magical about spending time with aquatic animals in their own habitat, and it's not that dangerous." 

I nodded. "My brother, Phillip says the same thing. He'd a diver. Instructor level. He's always trying to talk me into it." 

"Well, you really should take him up on it. Life should never be all about work. So where does he dive?"

I shrugged. "Everywhere. He's far more than he's home. Sometimes, I envy that. He's a wildlife biologist who searches for extremely rate pro probable extinct species across the globe. Phillip has a large sanctuary and breeding program in England to help save animals that are near extinction. He's never had any interest in Solo International. He was brought out when the estate was settled, but I don't think he really cares about the money. Well, other than the fact that it helps him do what he's always wanted to do."

I surprised myself with a casual observation I sometimes coveted Phillip's lifestyle, but it was probably true. 

"I'm sure his life has _some_ downfalls," Rey observed. "I couldn't imagine being away from home all the time, and living out of a backpack or a suitcase. You travel, too, right?"

"Yes. But not like Phillip does," I confessed. "Sometimes I'd like to travel simply for pleasure and not for business, but my life doesn't work that way right now."

"I can understand that. My one and only trip to America was outside the United Kingdom, and I didn't even get much of a chance to see anything because I was working. I was too worried about presentation."

"Then I guess you'll just have to come back," I said hopefully. "You didn't do any sightseeing?"

"I tried. I got lost on the Subway. I thought I was going to the right direction to get to the Empire State Building, but it turned out that I was headed the wrong way. By the time I straightened it all out and got to the Empire State Building, I didn't have much time. I couldn't see the whole thing." 

She sounded for forlorn that it made my damn chest ache. "Take a taxi or an Uber next time," I advised. "Everyone gets lost on the Subway unless they take it all the time." 

"Well, I _might_ get another chance," she said, her tone nervous. 

I shaded my eyes from the sun and looked at her face. "You think so?"

"Maybe," she said carefully. "If you agree with my proposal." 

Okay, she sounded twice as apprehensive now. "What's wrong, Rey? You sound worried. Talk to me. What's so bad about coming back to America? You'll neve have to pitch for my executives again, I swear."

"It's not that." She fidgeted in her lounge chair. "Look, I really do want a chance to help you fix your unfortunate, current situation." 

"And I want you to do that," I said eagerly. "I took your advice already, and made a public statement. So why is working with me a problem?"

She took a deep breath. "I think I'll need to go back to America with you."

"Excellent," I agreed. "That definitely won't be an issue. We'll fly back together. Take my jet. It's a hell of a lot more comfortable than business class." I _wanted_ Rey to back to America with me, so her plan was the same as mine so far. 

"You need to find yourself a girlfriend," she said in a rush, like she was having a problem forcing the words out of her mouth. "A woman who has a good reputation and background. Preferably British so she can go away when the good publicity is over. The media needs to tell another story about you, Ben. Something positive." 

I frowned at her. This definitely didn't suit my plan. "I don't know any British women, and I've never had a long-term love interest. I already told you that, Rey. I don't have the time."

Rey glared back at me. "Then it's time for a change."

"Even if I _was_ on board with your idea, which I'm _not_ , where do you suggest that I find this woman?"

I was irritated. I had no desire to cozy up to some suitable woman just for the pictures and the positive press. Especially considering that my plan was to seduce Rey. I'd just wait it out, let the whole damn thing blow over, and keep Kylo out of the country until that happened. There was no way I was going to pretend to be a pathetic, lovelorn idiot. Yeah, I'd do a lot for my mother and for the Solo name, but not _that._ Anything but _that._ I had no fucking idea how to romance a woman. 

"Maybe you _already_ found her," Rey suddenly squeaked. 

"I'm not really following you here."

I was getting annoyed, and all I wanted her to do was tell me her plan so I could simply refuse to cooperate. I wanted her in America, but we'd just have to come up with _another_ plan. I wasn't good at being charming or pretending, so the public would never buy my false affection for a woman that I didn't know. Kylo could have pulled this whole idea off, but I couldn't. 

Rey sounded anxious as hell when she started to speak. "I'm educated, and I haven't had any scandals in my past. I don't have skeletons in my closet. And I know exactly what has to be done. There's no paper trial of you ever hiring me, so we can wait to sign an agreement until _afte_ r all of this is over. _I'm_ willing to go along and play your temporary girlfriend if _you'll_ give it your very best effort," she said stiffly. "Believe me, Ben, I don't like this plan any better than you do, but I don't want any of this to go outside KCM, even with a nondisclosure. The less people who know, the better, and I'm really the only person at KCM who can do it."

A large, glaring lightbulb finally switched on in my sluggish brain, and my lips curved up in a smile as I looked Rey's flustered expression. Oh, hell, yes!

I _completely_ changed my mind about her proposed plan. It was absolutely brilliant, and it was going to mesh with my strategy perfectly. _She_ was going to be the one playing the adoring girlfriend. _She_ was going to be my love interest. _She_ as going to back to American to drum up some positive publicity about what a great guy I could be when I wasn't participating in orgies. 

Now didn't that just change... _everything?_ I wouldn't have to pretend that I was fucking obsessed with Rey, _and only Rey,_ because that was actually my reality right now. Not acting necessary. With her, my annoying fixation was very, very real. 

"I'm in," I agreed, no questions asked. "But you understand that we're going to have to be up close and personal, right?"

"Of course, I know," she snapped."

"That means you'll have to let me kiss you again, fondle you whenever we're together." I was completely warming up to this whole scenario.

"No....fondling of any kind," she said uneasily. 

I shook my head. "There will definitely have to be fondling to show the world how much I adore you," I argued. "You want me to be your Prince Charming, now don't you?"

She snorted. "You're already charming enough as an aristocratic, your Grave. You can touch me, but no...groping." 

Typically, I hated the ducal address, but Rey said it so playfully that it was _almost_ an endearment. So I wasn't about to complain if _she_ used it. I was incredibly tempted to tell her that there would be a whole lot of groping, which would inevitably lead to getting her into my bed, but I held that thought. 

She looked uncomfortable enough, so the last thing I wanted to do was dissuade her not when I wholeheartedly endorsed this particular plan.

"I'll be on my absolute best behavior. I promise," I told her.

Which really meant that I'd do everything I possibly could to coax her into my bed so the woman could experience her first orgasm...or two...or three. There was no possible way that I'd screwed up this opportunity to seduce Rey Kenobi, and _finally_ get my sanity back again. In return, I'd make damn sure she was satisfied, and teach her how important it was for her to get to the finish line, too. It seemed like a pretty fair deal to me. Rey, however, might need some convincing.

"One hint of an orgy, and I'm gone," she mumbled.

I grinned at her. "Absolutely."

Since the only female I wanted to get naked was with was her, that particular term would be no problem at all. 


End file.
